


Adventures in Xadia

by Erratus



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Emphasis on hurt, F/M, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Seriously guys this gets dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 13:10:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 79,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18344342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erratus/pseuds/Erratus
Summary: It was a stupid plan, Callum realized. He wandered deep into enemy territory with nothing but an elf to protect him, plopped down in front of the council of Xadia, said that he was a prince of Katolis, and just hoped that they would let him go. That they would just pat him on the head and send him on his merry way and everything would be fine. It was a stupid, stupid plan and the only saving grace was that Ezran decided to turn back.





	1. The Reveal

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, my first actual, full length story for this fandom. I have a pretty clear idea of where I want it go and how it is going to end. In fact I have half of it written. I expect it to be roughly ten chapter (give or take), with each chapter being about 5,000 words, and the first four chapters are already written. The first few chapters are going to be light, maybe a bit boring. I tried to keep them interesting but honestly it's mostly just setting the stage. Shit starts to get real in chapter 3, so hold out until then. Shit will get dark, with mental and physical suffering. But there will be a happy ending. Also this is a Rayllum fic, and it is not a slow burn. The Rayllum is coming in hot. I really hope you like it, because I have already put in several hours and ~20,000 words. If you do, send me your energy because it is sapping me.

Rayla watched Callum with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. She was on top of a ledge peering down at the boy.

“You know, we aren’t going to make it to Sky Keep City today if you don’t let me help.” Truthfully Rayla was okay with dragging out their time together another day. Callum muffled a yelp as his foot slid from its hold on rocks. He toppled over and landed at the base of the small cliff. It was probably no more than six feet tall, but it was taking Callum a few tries to get up it.

“You’ve been helping me too much,” he hopped up and tried again. He tried to find the same purchases as before. He was putting too much focus into finding them and not enough on how to move past them. 

“Only cause you need it.” Zym whined from beside Rayla, seemingly agreeing with her.

“I’ll never learn if-” thud. Callum winced and Rayla guessed that fall hurt more than the others. Or maybe he was just getting frustrated. Either way, Callum stayed down for a moment. The sun was setting and there was no way they going to make it to the city gates before it left for the day. 

“Come on,” Rayla lowered her hands and Callum grabbed them, albeit with some grumbling. With a heave and a jump, Callum found himself making it over the ledge. And right into Rayla’s lap. She blushed at the contact but didn’t move. His face was resting on her shoulder, his arms propped himself up on either side of her, and their legs mingled together. Callum seemed to take a minute as well, but she wasn’t sure if it was to relish in victory or enjoy the contact. For longer than necessary they stayed like that. Rayla’s arm hovered behind him. She wanted to wrap it around him and pull him closer but didn’t know how he would respond. So it just hovered behind his back, locked in uncertainty.

“Thanks,” he muttered, finally lifting himself up and away from her. He plodded away towards some trees and Zym chased after him. Rayla accepted that the moment was gone and followed. Callum was still panting and Rayla had to admit to herself she was getting winded more easily too. The high elevation was new to both of them. Zym, for his part, seemed no worse for the wear.

“You know, they say you can see all of Xadia from Dragon’s Perch,” Rayla eventually broke the silence. “I wonder if we’ll get to go up there.” She eyed the mountain peak they were walking towards. It was close enough now that they had to crane their necks to see it.

“That’s where Zym’s mom is, so shouldn’t that be our destination?” He also stared at the growing peak. Rayla doubted he could see it as well as she could though. Moonshadow elves had much better night vision than humans, and the last rays of the sun were leaving.

“It’s far too steep to climb. And well guarded.” She never actually had been to Sky Keep City before but Runaan had. He told her that the summit, Dragon’s Perch, was nothing but steep cliff faces for hundreds of feet. Not even the best Moonshadows could hope to scale it. But Skywings had special ways to reach the top. They were in charge of the dragon family, and relaying their commands to the rest of Xadia.

“Then who are we going to pass Zym off to?” Callum took a minute to pet the little guy.

“Probably the council. The Grand Ambassador, the Skywing in charge of talking to his mum, would be best but she isn’t easy to get a hold of. The council is different. They’ll be wanting to talk to me anyway about…” She didn’t know how to finish the thought. _About how we killed your dad and almost your brother. And you too, but that would have been a bonus kill_. As friendly as they were now, they did meet in distinctly unfriendly circumstances.

“Right,” his voice was quiet and she knew that he was thinking of Harrow. He never got a chance to properly grieve. Rayla’s chest tightened when her mind shifted to Runaan. She also didn’t have a chance to grieve. They’ve been running around and trying to end the war, they hardly had to think about much else. There was unease with the thought. Once he spent some time to reflect on things, would he come to resent her? For what Runaan did and what she almost did.

She walked closer to him and let their shoulders brush. He turned and smiled sadly at her and she returned it. Though the light was completely gone and she would be surprised if he saw her face.

“I hope that we can stop killing each other after this. Humans and elves, that is.” She stared up at the sky, though it was partially obscured by tree branches. Patches of stars broke through the dark leaves.

“With Ezran in Katolis and Zym in Xadia, I’m sure of it.” His voice had happiness in it again. Before Rayla could reply orange lights started to show through the trees.

“There it is. Sky Keep City,” Rayla tried to make her voice match his chipper tone, but there was heaviness and uncertainty. The trees stopped and a field lay before them. It sloped upwards, approaching a steep cliff that disappeared into the night sky. Dragon’s Perch, and Zym’s home. Peppered around the base of the cliff were lights. The houses and businesses that made up Sky Keep City. At the center and highest point of the city was a castle. That was their destination, what they had been walking towards for months.

Tomorrow their journey would end. Rayla will have safely guided Callum and Zym to the Dragon Queen, and she would have no more reason to travel with Callum. The thought hurt. She wanted to stay with him, and as more than just a friend. She needed to bring it up. She needed to tell him how she feels so they can decide if they want tomorrow to be the end of them. She didn’t want to bring it up sooner in case he didn’t see her that way. She would rather not trudge across Xadia in awkward silence. But as they had more and more moments of prolonged touch, she had to think there was something there. Callum wasn’t so… cuddly with anyone else. Not even Claudia.

“Hey, Callum…,” she started but wasn’t totally sure how to continue. Just saying ‘I love you’ was too direct. She didn’t exactly how the courage to just pull him into a kiss. And no smooth pick up lines were springing to her mind.

“Hm?” He looked at her, urging her to go on. He seemed more interested in the city than her, which she was thankful for, but she didn’t know how many more private moments they would have together. It was now or never. It had to be. A moment passed and she still didn't know what to say.

“Could you promise me something?” He turned to look at her, giving her his full attention. Her chest fluttered under the innocent stare of his green eyes. “Whatever happens tomorrow, can we talk afterward? Before you go running back to Katolis?” She would confess tomorrow, after everything is done. She couldn't hide the vulnerability with her request though. 

“Of course. Rayla, I'm not going to just ditch you. You're my friend,” he almost sounded offended. A smile tugged of her lips. There had to be something there. They were, at the very least, more than traveling companions.

“Yeah well, wouldn't be the first time you princes ran off without telling anyone,” she teased back, all seriousness gone. 

“Okay, I can’t promise anything if another Moonshadow assassin takes me on an adventure across Katolis and Xadia. But, barring that, I promise I won’t just leave.”

“You better not be running off with any other assassins. That’s my job.”

“And you did a job job,” he gestured to himself, Zym, and city before him. 

“Damn straight,” Rayla grinned. They fell into a comfortable silence. In the darkness Rayla dares to grab his hand. She can hardly see him, but she thinks he smiles. Either way he interlocks their fingers and gives her hand a squeeze. Tomorrow was the big day.

“We should probably go back into the trees, camp there,” Rayla suggested.

“What, why? We are right here. And it’s cold,” he fought her. In the moonlight she could make out a pout.

“We aren’t going to be talking to anybody at this time. We’d have to get an inn and wait til morning. I’d rather wait out here, where no one will see you,” she pointed to Callum. “Or you,” she moved her finger to Zym. Callum looked dejected, but Rayla would enjoy one last night camping with him. It did have its perks.

“We can make a nice big fire and sleep in a big old pile again,” she fought back a laugh when he blushed. 

“Hey, it’s cold! And I don’t have warm enough clothes, or a tent,” excuses were spilling out of his mouth. It was true, he had curled up next to Rayla for sleep ever since they got high enough to the night air to have a chill. She was not complaining though.

.

Callum was nervous. Actually, nervous didn't really cut it. He was scared. The city seemed so much more alive and bright in the day. Last night it was like a cluster of stars twinkling peacefully. Now it was a nightmare. The streets were crowded with elves of all races, though more Skywing than anything else it seemed. They walked through streets of shops which sold anything and everything. He saw a baker selling normal looking bread next to what seemed to be a frog dealer. He briefly wondered if he could find Bait a friend there.

Not everyone had a shop. Peddlers were on every corner, and in between them for that matter. They presented him flowers, roots, necklaces, books, and just about everything else. A lot of them were children offering whatever valuables they dug out of the trash. Orphans, probably. He was worried they would get a good look at his face hidden under his cloak or his hands, painfully crammed inside gloves made for elves. Luckily they lost their attention as fast as they got it.

Rayla didn’t give anyone a chance to say anything to them. Her hand was locked onto his, dragging him through the streets. It was in stark contrast to the gentle gesture from the previous night.

His free hand was holding the bag containing Zym. He shifted the tiny dragon to free his fingers enough to grab the base of his hood. He pulled on it, holding it tight to his head. Moving so fast made him paranoid his hood would fall off and reveal him.

“Hey Moonie, your mate has the smallest horns I've ever seen,” a voice from behind jeered. Was he just insulted? He didn’t know what horn size meant in elf culture. It was with a blush he also remembered that ‘mate’ exclusively meant romantic partner in Xadia.

“Don't hold your hood so tight. Your showing off your flat skull,” Rayla's voice barely made it to his ears. His hand instantly released the clothe, trusting that it wouldn't slide off. Apparently his attempts were backfiring and it was best to trust the cloak.

They came to an abrupt stop outside the castle gates. Rayla shifted into a formal military pose and addressed the guards.

“I've come to report from a mission.” Callum held his breath. They didn't want to be at the mercy of a guard, who might just assume to kill Callum. Luckily they weren’t too concerned about pair. 

“Enter, we'll send word to the council.” It was as easy as that. Apparently Rayla’s military assassin getup was trusted enough to be let in without much thought. Callum guessed that a human invader was a crazy idea this far into Xadia, and there wasn’t much of a need for concern. 

Inside the castle walls it was much more quiet and calm. It wasn’t particularly unlike the Katolis castle, Callum mused. The landscaping was carefully arranged and maintained, and finely crafted sculptures and statues were scattered about. There were young women in colorful dresses, though Rayla gave a firm yank when he noted them. Warriors of all ages and races walked around. An older mage was instructing two youths on how to summon a small twister. Callum stalled at the sight, wanting to learn himself. Rayla didn't allow it.

“You can learn more sky magic later. Come on,” she tugged his arm hard and he kept moving. Another minute of moving through hallways and they found themselves in front of a door. A guard looked Rayla up and down.

“I’m guessing you are the Moonshadow assassin. The council is ready for you now.” He opened the door and they both entered. The room was moderately sized with little in the way of furnishings. Across the room, an on elevated stage there was a table with five elves, each a different race. There was no Startouch elf, which perplexed Callum, but he wrote it off as not important at the moment.

“Your honors,” Rayla started. She took a step forward and kneeled. Callum decided to follow suit and drop down as well. “I am the only survivor of the mission to Katolis. But the deaths of the others were not in vain.” Her voice was oddly formal for her, even her accent was reigned in. Callum almost wanted to tease her about it, but then he realized. A heaviness set into his bones. This was it. This was the end. She was addressing the council of Xadia, about to reveal him and Zym.

“Then King Harrow and Prince Ezran have been executed? Revenge was taken for our king and prince?” The Sunfire elf inquired eagerly. He was dressed as a military man and his relish for revenge fit the bill. The mention of his dad being killed and Ezran almost following sent a chill through Callum. How would they take a living, breathing prince of Katolis appearing in front of them?

“Who is that with you, if you are the sole survivor?” The Skywing elf asked before Rayla could answer the first question. She was older and exuded an air of wisdom. Rayla opted to answer the Sunfire councilman. The Skywing's question was a trickier one and the first question served as a better start.

“King Harrow is fallen, yes. But I discovered that there was no need to execute the prince,” the council mumbled angrily amongst themselves. Rayla didn't give them the chance to vocalize anything though. “Our prince lives,” she declared with a flourish and stood up. She took two long strides backwards and sent an unmistakable stare to Callum. _You're up_.

Callum was groomed for this. Well, not exactly this, but public speaking and addressing foreign heads of state. His heart was racing and his mind went blank for a moment, but Kopel's voice drifted into his mind. The crotchety old man taught him public speaking and in particular addressing foreign, possibly hostile, heads of states.

_Stand straight. Project your voice through the room. Be formal but firm, do not let them interrupt. You are a prince of Katolis, carry your kingdom on your shoulders._

He stood and stepped forward. With more confidence than he had any right to have to lowered his hood to introduce himself. Shocked murmurs turned to surprised howls and yells. _Don't let them interrupt. They’ll want to, but don’t let them. That is how diplomats fight, with words_.

“I am Callum, prince of Katolis. I have come to return Azymondias, the prince of Xadia, to his homeland and his mother. I come requesting peace between our nations.” Finally, he opened the bag and lifted Zym out, presenting him to the council. The council was a disorganized mess at this point. The howls and cries only got louder, and everyone was trying to talk over everyone else. Callum guessed that this wasn't a normal event for them. He looked back at Rayla who only offered a shrug in return. Guards entered the room but stalled at the edge, seemingly not sure what to do.

“Order! Please!” The Sunfire elf stood and demanded they quite down. “Assassin, is this true?” His intense stare turned towards Rayla. Zym licked at Callum’s chin and he decided to pull the baby towards his chest and scratch his chin. This might be the last time he’d see Zym for a while.

“Yes, your honor. I discovered the prince’s egg during the mission. We agreed to return the Dragon Prince to usher in an era of peace.” She was still too formal for Callum’s tastes.

“Let me see him,” the Skywing councilwoman demanded. She walked towards Callum almost tentatively, like he was a threat. Callum quickly looked back at Rayla, silently asking if he should pass Zym over. Rayla nodded and he could almost hear the jabs she was thinking about him. _Yes you dummy, now is when you return Zym_. Within another moment Zym was in the older woman’s arms.

“It is true, this is the child of Thunder. The Dragon Prince lives,” she declared breathlessly. 

“My brother Ezran is on the throne and he shares my vision,” Callum picked up again. “We grieve for our father,” he swallowed hard at words. “But we understand why it was done. We have blood on our hands as well. It is time to stop killing each other. It is time for peace.” He carefully looked into each of their faces. The Skywing was listening but still seemed awestruck by Zym. The Earthblood man, young but distinctly adult, seemed perplexed by this turn of events. The Oceanwave woman, who seemed incredibly young to be a councilwoman, was smiling widely, gently clapping her hands. He had to smile at her. The Moonshadow man stared skeptically, eyes darting between him and Rayla. And the Sunfire man glared, his stare unwavering from Callum. After a moment, he stood. 

“I think that we will need to discuss this matter in private. Guards, escort the human and assassin to a private room.” He spoke slowly, processing the last few minutes.

“And summon a dragon keeper!” The Skywing added, still cradling Zym. Callum smiled at the sight. Zym was home.

Before they left the room Rayla scooted towards him. Her hand disappeared behind him and he felt the weight of his hood appear on his head. Rayla’s face was closely than was strictly necessary, but Callum enjoyed their increased closeness. His nerves were shot after the meeting and he felt like he could fall over. He hoped he did okay.

“Let’s not go starting riots now.” She was smiling wide and he was too. They had done it.

“I’m so glad you are back to normal.” She shot him a confused look. “Talking. You were way too formal. It was scary.”

“Oh, like you are one to complain. It sounded like you were possessed.” The guard opened a door and they entered a small, empty room.

“Hey, I’m a prince. That’s how I’m supposed to talk.” Callum decided that he wore the elf gloves for long enough. He happily pulled them off and winced as he started using his pinky again.

“I guess it is easier putting four fingers into a human glove,” Rayla mused as she watched him.

“Feels like my pinky might fall off, so maybe it won’t be an issue next time.” The numbness started to give way to sharp pains. A quietness settled over them again. One of those silences where he felt like they should talk about serious things and the future. Where they would go, stuff like that. Callum didn’t like thinking about it too much because he knew what it meant. He needed to return to Katolis, and Rayla would go back to her home and they would probably never see each other again. It shouldn’t hurt so much to think about the woman sent to kill his family leaving, but it did.

“Hey, Callum…,” Rayla started in the same tone she used last night. He grimaced at the seriousness of it all. This was probably the ‘we need to part ways’ talk that he was dreading. He stared at his feet, bracing himself.

“Human, the council is ready to speak to you.” A guard opened the door to summon him. He shot a glance as Rayla, silently asking permission.

“Go, we can talk later.” She seemed almost relieved. Then again, so was Callum. With a weak smile he left her in the room and was led back to the council. He was glad that Rayla put his hood back up. He found himself unnerved by the stares in the hallway that he was getting. Word seems to move fast in this castle.

He steeled himself with a calming breath and entered the room. This time it was just him, no Rayla or Zym.

“I trust the Dragon Prince has been returned to his mother,” Callum started. Of course he had. But Kopel taught him to talk to them as peers. As mighty as they might seem in their castles, they _were_ his peers. He was a prince of Katolis, and he needed to carry himself as such. He always hated Kopel’s lessons, but he found himself eternally grateful he had some training to fall back on.

“The keepers are returning him as we speak,” The Skywing answered. “Your gesture has stunned us. It is not enough to forget history, but we are willing to consider your proposition,” she continued. A rush of validation hit Callum. It was a crazy plan, but it was working.

“Thank you, I am sure that with time and work, we can begin to mend the divide.”

“General Suwin,” she gestured towards the Sunfire. “Has volunteered to lead negotiations. Since he is head of the military, he does tend to know the most about humans and external affairs. He will be reporting to us and to the Queen.” Callum bit back a frown. He seemed like the least friendly one of them. But if he was head of the military peace talks would naturally be with him.

“I look forward to working with you,” Callum lied.

“And I, you,” the man grumbled. Callum suspected the feeling was mutual. Mutual animosity was another thing that Kopel had long prepared him for.

“Now, are you hungry Callum,” a soft, feminine voice pulled him away from the general. It was the Oceanwave woman. He noted that she was the only one of them to refer to him by name.

“Actually yeah,” he started to fall out of character a bit. They had a small amount of fruit that morning but nothing since. Adrenaline had been keeping hunger away for most of the day but it was starting to wane.

“Wonderful. Suwin, can I borrow him for lunch?” Her cheerfulness made her easily Callum’s favorite.

“Sure,” was his gruff reply.

The Oceanwave woman, Callum realized that he never got her name, stood and ushered him out the door.

“Luminos, would you be a dear and send for lunch for two in my reading room,” she gently asked a Moonshadow guard.

“Of course, my lady.”

“Callum, what do you think of the castle?” she politely asked as they strolled through the halls.

“It’s amazing. Like something out of a story book,” he answered truthfully. 

“Oh, but you mustn’t be new to it. You have castles in Katolis, yes?” She actually seemed to wonder. The flow of information between Xadia and the human kingdoms was really abysmal.

“Yeah, but it’s different,” he paused trying to think of the words. The councilwoman opened a door to small room, her reading room, he guessed. “This is more… airy.” Windows were everywhere, making it seem even bigger than it was. The high vantage point meant you could see for so much further too, making even the outside seem huge.

“Well, it is to be expected of the Skywing elves.” Her cheery eyes flashed dark.

“Callum, can I ask you something?” He was acutely aware of their privacy. There wasn’t even a guard around. She must have trusted him be this close and unprotected.

“Of course.”

“What do you hope to come from being here?” The question wasn’t as light hearted as the previous one. Callum was starting to see why she was a councilwoman despite her age.

“I… Well, peace.” Her soft demeanor made her seem more like a friend than a powerful foreign figure. It threw him. Kopel’s voice had entirely left him.

“But why not send representatives? Why was your only companion one of our soldiers?” She cocked her head like an innocent child. There was a knock that briefly interrupted them. 

“Come in.” A servant brought two silver plates in and wordlessly left. Callum started eating the food slowly, considering how to respond. She was still looking at him curiously, waiting for a response.

“Things got a little bit crazy. We didn’t really have the luxury.” Truthfully, he didn’t know the state of his own kingdom. Harrow was dead and Ezran would be back home by then. He would hope that Ezran could take the throne, but they were both missing for over a month, so someone probably took control. Virin maybe. And Ezran was a kid.

“Why take the prince in the first place just to return him? And why return him after we killed your father?” Her frankness cut him a bit. He chewed slowly, trying to think of how to answer these questions. It probably wouldn’t be good to let on that they were runaway princes, that returning Zym was not at all something they planned with their council or advisors. 

“We didn’t know that we had the egg. Our arch mage had it and kept it secret. I don’t know if dad even know. But we found it when…” he trailed off, not sure how to put it in words he could say. “On that night.” He hoped that she would know.

“It is odd for you to respond with the assassination of your king by returning our prince.” She gently sipped from a cup of tea. Her stare was piercing and Callum knew that she saw right through him.

“Zym doesn’t deserve to get hurt. No matter what happened between our kingdoms, he’s just a baby.” This web of delicate half-truths was getting hard. He opted to fall back on a simple truth; Zym was an innocent baby. She smiled widely and Callum wasn’t sure if he should take it as a good sign or not.

“Well,” she rested her hand on his and leaned in. “I’m glad that you did what you did. You must be tired, let me have you shown to a room.” She stood and Callum was glad for this lunch to be over. She was much more intense that he first thought.

“One more thing Callum,” she paused by the door. She looked uncertain, possibly at a loss for words. “Be careful of Suwin. He can be set in his ways.” She poked her head out the door and signaled for a guard.

“Could you show our guest to a room? One in the south tower, so he can have a nice view.” She begun to slip out of the room. “I look forward to talking with you more, Callum.” Her voice drifted back into the room. Callum still had no idea what to think of her.

“Come along,” a guard told him. He stood, taking one last bite of the food and followed the man. He was another Moonshadow elf. Speaking of which…

“Do you know where Rayla is? My friend that I came in with?”

“She’s the Moonshadow assassin, right?” Callum hummed in agreement. “I believe that they want to debrief her on her mission.”

“Makes sense.” Callum was surprised how quickly he came to miss her. They were only separated for a few hours. But between being in a different land and having been together for months, it was normal. He was guessing so, anyway.

“Well, could you get me when she is done? Or send her to me?”

“I will relay the message.” He stated plainly. Not much of a talker. Motion from outside a window caught his eye. It was the mages again, they were still practicing. Callum wondered if he could ask to learn from sky magic while staying here. It was something to talk to Suwin about, he guessed.

“Your room will be up these stairs.” Callum brought his focus to the spiraling staircase in front of him. The Oceanwave woman did say to give him a room in a tower. It was probably a hell of a view. Deciding that it was worth it he started to climbs the stairs. He ended up getting winded fast because of the high elevation but made it to the top within a few minutes nonetheless.

The guard gestured to one of the few doors and Callum took it upon himself to open it. Impressed, he walked in and closed the door behind himself.

It was a nice room, he couldn't argue. It was sizeable with tables, couches, and a huge bed. A door led off to what was probably a bathroom. Everything he needed to live comfortably. Better than his room at home, he had to admit. Of course he would rather be at home, safe, in his own room, and with Ezran. Though, he thought with a heavy heart, he might not have Rayla with him in that situation.

He went over to the window to inspect the view. True to her word, it was breathtaking. Below him the city bustled with life. He was too high up to see anything in detail, but the streets were alive with swirling people and motion. Further away were pale forests that stopped with sudden cliffs. The landscape grew wider and faded into blue. He could hardly tell where the sky and land met. Instead the horizon was a faded blue. He could see why they say you can see all of Xadia from Dragon’s Perch. He wondered vaguely if he could see Katolis. He decided to try to find the glowing rock of the Breach as night. For the moment, he pulled free his sketchbook and went to work at capturing the sight before him.

He wondered how Ezran was doing. If he had things under control well enough, maybe him and Rayla could explore Xadia. He thought of his female companion and sighed. He did miss her. Hopefully she will be done debriefing soon.


	2. Abandonment

Time ticked by slowly for Rayla. What was the council talking to Callum about? Were they going to try to work with Callum and Ezran? What were they going to say to her, an assassin who abandoned her mission for something she decided was more important? Too many questions, not enough answers. Luckily it was probably no more than an hour of waiting before she was summoned back. As soon as she was ushered back into the room she noticed that Callum was nowhere to be seen.

“You are Rayla, correct?” The Skywing asked.

“Yes, your honor”, she confirmed. She scanned the room again for Callum, hoping against hope that she missed him the first time. Still no sight of the boy.

“Tell us in full what happened,” the Skywing commanded. Rayla's attention snapped forward and she recounted what happened that first fateful night. Including how she failed to kill a patrolling human and disobeyed her leader. She figured that it was too important to lie to make her look better. Besides, it seemed a bit trivial compared to not only letting your mark live but protecting and traveling with him for months.

“I decided the best course of action was to escort the then egg back to Xadia. The princes agreed with the goal and we travelled to the Breach together. Prince Ezran returned to take the throne and Prince Callum decided to continue to deliver the Dragon Prince.”

“But you were with them the entire time, yes?” The Sunfire asked intensely.

“Yes, I took it as my duty to protect all three princes.”

“So the Katolis princes didn't truly have a choice?” The Sunfire pressed. Rayla didn't follow. She tried to think of how to answer but he continued without giving her the time.

“They were alone, without any soldiers, when our assassin secured the egg. They couldn't overpower her and keep the egg. So they offered to return it as a ploy. They wanted to separate the the egg from young Rayla so as to return it to their control. And when they failed they sent the crown prince back and had the expendable one continue the ploy to trick us. It was damage control.” The Sunfire continued, his speech was more to the council than Rayla.

“Sir, I don't think that's the case,” Rayla tried to interject. She _knew_ that wasn’t the case. The idea was almost laughable, if it wasn’t so serious. The Sunfire elf didn't let her defend herself though.

“Rayla is a prodigy and a hero, but she is also inexperienced. She hasn't fought the humans like I have. She doesn't understand them. I have seen many young elf soldiers tricked into mercy. It was the downfall of too many of our finest. Her group leader was taken out and she was easily manipulated. The humans did exactly what was best for them.”

“Sir,” Rayla barked. She didn't want to let this line of thinking go on any longer. “I know that isn't true. They could have taken the egg back and even killed me if they wanted to.” She scanned her memories for the best example. She knew she didn't have long before the Sunfire elf started again.

“Just before we entered Xadia a dragon was shot down by humans. I left the human princes with the Dragon Prince to defend her. They could have escaped to the human village, it was heavily defended. I couldn't have done anything about it if they did. The Dragon Prince would have been lost once again.

“Instead Callum came with me and helped me. The dragon was downed and I was completely overpowered. He saved both me and the dragon _from other humans_. He is just as much of a hero as I am,” she finished the story. 

The idea that Ezran and Callum were just trying to get the egg back was easily discredited. They had all come to trust each other far too much. Rayla slept around them, any night they could have killed her in her sleep. When the egg fell through the ice, they could have left it to freeze. When the egg was dying, Callum didn’t have the destroy the primal stone to let Zym hatch, she didn’t even think of it. There were countless times when they both proved themselves. The fact that Callum was there, handing Zym over should have been proof enough.

The council seemed swayed by this story. Small phrases of ‘maybe they do want peace’ and ‘this war has gone on far too long’ were heard. The Sunfire elf, however, was silently glaring.

“And how did he save her? With a sword?” He knew the answer. Callum wasn't a warrior, it was obvious with a glance. Rayla forced the words out through gritted teeth.

“With dark magic.” The council broke out into chattering again. Rayla tried to add that he didn't like it, he never did it again, and he even can do sky magic now. But her words were completely ignored. She doubted they even heard over their own talking.

“Humans use dark magic, we know this,” the Earthblood man spoke up. “But the fact that he used it to save our prince is what matters.”

“Agreed,” the Oceanwave woman seconded the thought. The Skywing also nodded in agreement. The Sunfire just scowled. The Moonshadow seemed lost in thought.

“Are you really believing this?” The Sunfire was half bewildered, half angry. “That a _human_ returned our prince out of love and want for peace?”

“It is odd,” The Oceanwave agreed. “Rayla, what is your assessment?”

“She’s a child!” The Sunfire interrupted before Rayla could answer. She fought back a sneer. She was young, but she was still a trained assassin that was able to transport a human prince and a dragon prince across Katolis and Xadia. What happened to ‘prodigy and hero’?

“Oh come now, we wouldn’t have sent a child on a mission to assassinate the king and prince of Katolis,” the Oceanwave defended her. Rayla decided she liked her. “And she actually has experience with humans that doesn’t involve killing them.” The Sunfire elf seemed ready to interject again, but the Oceawave didn’t give him the chance. “I trust her assessment on the motives of the humans more than yours.”

“Marus has a point,” the Skywing concurred. “Too much war can leave you out of touch with the motives of your enemies.” The Sunfire elf wasn’t pleased but let the question stand. All eyes turned to Rayla.

“It’s true, I have come to see the human princes as friends, not enemies. They are not like how I was told humans were. At least not entirely,” she thought of Claudia and her dark magic. Amaya and her aggression. That Soren fellow also didn’t make a good impression.

“The princes are well meaning. They have come to love Azymondias. They have no ill will towards elves in general, I can promise you that. They don’t care much for dark magic either and they don’t want this war to go on any longer. I believe them, I’ve seen how they work. They are good people.” Rayla found herself pleading with them.

“I met with Callum privately,” the Oceanwave informed her. Rayla had to wonder why. She smothered a small flame of jealousy. “And I must say, he is much younger than the initial impression I had of him. They are raising fine princes in Katolis,” Rayla still wasn’t sure what she was getting at, but this woman was starting to put her on edge. “The other one, Ezran, how much older is he?”

“He’s younger, actually. By a few years. Five, maybe.”

“Younger? Then why is he the crown prince?” The Earthblood cut in with curiosity in his voice.

“Ah, I guess Callum isn’t a prince by blood. He’s a step prince,” Rayla explained. She still wasn’t sure where they were going with this.

“So he’s not even a real prince. Of course that’s why he was sent here. Ezran would probably be happy to see him die here. Less competition for the throne.” It was the Sunfire elf again. Rayla was again surprised by just how out crazy his theories were. The idea of Ezran _wanting_ Callum to die would be laughable in any other situation. There, it made her want to scream.

“Sir, that’s not true. They both love each other a lot,” Rayla found herself defending them again.

“Oh, I have no doubt.” The Oceanwave picked up again. “But this is interesting, that Callum is actually older. By five years too, you said.”

“Something like that. I don’t know their actual ages.” Rayla almost felt bad about it. It probably should have come up, but it just never did. How old was Callum exactly? She felt like he was younger than her, but maybe that was because he was so sheltered. “What’s that have to do with anything anyway?” Rayla finally asked.

“That explains their motives, of course,” the Oceanwave chuckled like it was all so obvious. “They are children. Naive. They don’t understand why we have the war. They aren’t old enough to be as conniving as Suwin claims.” She finished with a laugh. Rayla wasn’t sure what to make of the assessment. “I think we should work with Callum. This is a very promising opportunity.”

“I have to agree with Marus.” The Skywing added in. “When we consider their ages, their actions make sense. I think it is very likely they do have good motives.”

“Agreed.” The Earthblood man piped up.

“I have to agree too,” it was the Moonshadow councilman this time. Even the Sunfire elf seemed to be mulling over the assessment. Calling them naive children didn’t exactly sit well with Rayla, but it was an improvement. “On an unrelated note, Rayla, were you not bound?” The question from the Moonshadow sent her back to long ago. Before Zym hatched and when the binding was squeezing the life out of her hand.

“Aye, and I had intended to lose the hand. But the Dragon Prince remove it after he hatched.” 

“Really now? That is interesting.” The Skywing paused to consider things. “When was this? How did you prompt him? He is so young, I wouldn’t have thought…” Rayla didn’t know much about the powers of dragons. Mostly just that they _were_ powerful and and full of magic. At the time she didn’t expect a baby dragon to be able to remove a binding, but she didn’t think it was special. Well, beyond being a baby dragon that is.

“It was just after he hatched. No more than a few minutes old.” She paused to reflect on the incident. If there was anything she did to get Zym to remove it. “I don’t think I prompted him at all. I was just petting him, convincing myself he was real. He started chewing on it on his own. I didn’t even think it would work. But it did.” She squeezed the fingers of the hand, remembering the numbness and pain from so long ago.

“I will relay this to the keepers. If what Rayla is saying, Azymondias may grow to be even more powerful than his father.” More powerful than Thunder? Rayla wondered if she would really get to live to see the day.

 

“Does anyone else have any other questions for Rayla?” The Skywing elf asked after a moment. The rest quieted down and then there was silence. “Are we still in favor of the previous decision about her?” Rayla stiffened. She didn't lie about her letting the human guard go or disobeying Runaan. She also did choose to completely disregard her task of killing Ezran. Not that she regretted any of it, but she didn't know what was in store for her.

One by one the council members listed off 'aye’. It was unanimous, whatever it was.

“Very well. Rayla, you are hereby pardoned of all crimes committed during your mission, including abandoning your mark and smuggling a human into Xadia. You violated orders but in doing so, you made the correct decisions. We applaud your bravery, integrity, and wisdom. As general Suwin said, you truly are a prodigy and a hero.” Rayla could feel the weight lift off her. She wasn’t being punished, but actually commended for her actions. She couldn't fight the wide, genuine smile. 

“Thank you, your honors,” she bowed. “If you don't mind me asking, when can I see Callum again?” She needed to tell someone about this and he had become her best friend. Well, hopefully more than that soon.

“Do you have further business with him?” It was the Earthblood elf that asked this time.

“We have becomes friends,” she answered truthfully. The council looked amongst themselves. For a moment, she was worried.

“I don't see why not,” the Oceanwave- Marus- said tacitly. She looked among her peers for objections.

“Let me talk with him first,” the Sunfire cut in again. He had a scowl. Rayla guessed that he still wasn't certain of Callum. The others seemed unconvinced of his cynicism, much to Rayla's satisfaction. Marus’ idea seemed to be accepted by them, whatever the implications of that were.

“You are dismissed,” and with that Rayla was sent out, back into civilian life. It struck her that her mission was officially over. All the training, her life with Runann, it was over. Gone. Where would she go? What would she do? Would she be expected to go on another mission soon? She wasn’t exactly eager to go back home. Runaan was gone. And even if the council pardoned her for abandoning her mark, she doubted other Moonshadow elves would agree. There was a reason they bound themselves. Home just seemed like it would be painful and empty.

Would she ever see Ezran again? Would she see Callum again? Yes, she had to. At least Callum. He promised her. The Sunfire elf just wanted to talk to him some more, probably convince himself that Callum really was well meaning. Which shouldn’t be that hard. The boy was about as threatening as a puppy.

She wondered how long it would take for him to talk with Callum. Probably a lot longer than her. She hoped that the Oceanwave would be around for that. She really did go up to bat for Callum, and seemed to believe in his intentions. At least she had a better version of events, even though they also weren’t flattering.

She dragged her feet along the city streets, not totally sure what to do with herself in the meantime. Once they were done with him, it would be time to come clean about her feelings. It would be a ‘now or never’ kind of thing, since he would probably be returning to Katolis rather fast. So, how would she do it? 

_Hey Callum, I have a huge crush on you. Do you want to date me?_

_Don’t know if anyone ever told you, but you are very cute._

_So, now that you seem over Claudia, how about you give me a try?_

Or maybe she could just kiss him instead. But what if he didn't think about her that way? He would shove her away, tell her that they would never be together, and then go crawling back to Claudia. The idea made her sneer. No, she wasn’t imagining things. He liked her too. He had to. Partly because of how close they had gotten, but partly because it would destroy her to get rejected. She didn’t really have anyone else, or anywhere else to go.

She thought about it while she wandered the streets of the city. It was much bigger than any cities they had back home. So much more hectic. She passed by stores and contemplated getting Callum something. That was a good way to start a relationship, right? With a gift? Or would it come off as a bit desperate? What would she even get him? She passed by a mage’s store and the answer suddenly came to her. She ducked into the musty store. A strong, pungent scent hit her immediately. It was the smell of potent ingredients for any possible potion all mixed together. And a side of dusty old books, just for good measure. She forgot how much she hated mage’s stores.

“Ah, a Moonshadow,” the presumed owner appeared instantly. “I have books for your kind to your right, though if you want to brew a potion, you will need to follow me to the next room.” He was an older Earthblood man. If Rayla had to guess, he was probably a mage.

“Actually, I’m looking for a book on Sky magic. For a friend.”

“Ah, very good. Your friend, how experienced are they? What kind of applications?”

“He’s new, but learns fast. Applications…” she trailed off. Truthfully she wasn’t totally sure what Callum’s vision was. She actually doubted that he had one at this point. “I’m not totally sure. Something for general use?” She shrugged, but the owner didn’t seem put off.

“Hm, how about…” He searched his shelves. He started fingering a thin book.

“Something comprehensive though. He travels a lot, might not be able to pick up new books.” It was a half lie. She just didn’t think they would have appropriate books in Katolis. They probably all focused on dark magic there, and that wasn’t something she was going to let Callum do again.

“Very well,” the man left the thin book and moved towards a larger one. “This is the book they give to new Skywing mage students. He pulled out a sizeable tome. “It’s dry and gets rather technical, but it’ll take him from beginner to respectable.”

“Perfect,” she smiled and happily paid for it. She thumbed through it. True to his word, it was filled with tiny text and technical drawings. She hoped that Callum would like it. It did cost a pretty penny. It didn’t exactly say ‘let’s be lovers’ but Rayla decided it was best not to get overly romantic. Besides, this was a good present for him regardless of all that sappy stuff.

She noticed the sun was starting to set. She would need to get an inn. With a jolt, a thought hit her. _They_ would need to get an inn. After she lays her feelings on the line, if he does feel the same way they would be sharing a room together. Alone. There was no fighting off the blush. Would he want to… When do humans normally start with that stuff? What would _she_ want to do in an inn with Callum alone? Her heart was pounding at the thought and she decided to shake away the thoughts. She was getting ahead of herself. Probably want to start with a kiss before they move into any of _that_ stuff.

.

The city way painted red and orange from the setting sun by the time she returned to the castle. She found two new guards stationed by the gates, muttering to each other.

“I have a message for the guest, Callum,” she announced. They looked over at her, mildly annoyed. “Tell him Rayla be staying in the Hogwash inn, straight south.”

“Noted,” one of the guards said. She was about to leave when the other chimed in.

“This Callum, do you know what race he is?” He asked carefully. The other guard sighed and she could practically hear him roll his eyes. She considered it for a moment. They didn't tell her that his presence was secret. Nor did they seem concerned about hiding his identity around the castle. 

“He’s a human,” she said with fake boredom. The one that asked gasped and threw an ‘I told you’ to the other. The first just yelled out ‘what’. She chuckled and walked away.

The inn was comfortable, though she balked at the one bed. Apparently that was all they had, which led her back to musing about what she would say to Callum and, assuming he felt the same, what they would do. Nothing, she decided to herself. Or at least nothing they weren't ready to do.

She waited. Occasionally she would hear footsteps and would sit up, getting her speech mentally ready. But they would pass and she would relax on the bed again. The extra time was nice. As the night wore on she thought of how to confess and reflected on all their intimate moments. Times when they relaxed by the fire, closer than friends had any reason to be. When they camped under the overhanging rock and had to sleep next to each other. But over the course of the night they found themselves essentially spooning. Those moments where they would make eye contact and she could almost hear the unspoken words. There was something there, Rayla knew it. She just didn't know how to bring it up.

She eyed the book she got him. A thought occurred to her. It could be from a friend, there was nothing about it romantic. It didn't say 'I love you’ but she _could_ make it say it. Opening the book she found a page near the title page with a lot of white space. She took a quill to it.

_Callum,_

_It's been a crazy few months. When we first met, I was going to kill you. But you showed me that there was a better way. That we could have peace. More than that, you showed me that we could love each other. Callum, you are a dumb human but I love you. And not like a brother either. I hope that you love me too. I don't know what awaits us, but I hope we can face it together._

_Love,  
Rayla _

She read over the note again and again. She couldn't decide if she liked it or hated it. Part of her wanted to rip out the page. But she fought the urge. She kept putting it off and she couldn’t keep doing that. It had to be said, and if writing a note was the only way Rayla could get it done, then so be it. So with a sigh she closed the page and put the book aside. 

She wondered what would be next for Callum. For them. If he would accept her. If he loved her like she loved him. If they could actually be together. What a future together would look like. It was those questions that she eventually fell asleep to. Pleasant dreams filled her night, where her, Callum, and Ezran were a family. 

She was disappointed to find that there still was no Callum the next morning. He must have stayed in the castle. Maybe they were negotiating peace. It was an odd idea, since she knew Callum wasn't the best person for the job. He didn't have the knowledge or authority for it. Plus, she didn’t believe he could keep up his fancy talking for that long. It would be best for everyone if he returned and they sent better representatives back. So it was with some frustration she found herself at the castle gates again.

“I would like to see Callum,” she told one of the guards. His bored look turned to interest immediately. They were again new guards. Probably the same from the last morning, but not the same from last night.

“The…” his voice trailed off. 'Human’ was left unspoken but she knew that was what he meant.

“Yes. I was his traveling companion, Rayla” One of them ducked away to carry the message inside. The other stared curiously, though he didn't ask anything.

“The message has been sent.” The other guard reappeared.

“And how long until he is free?” She asked, more than a little exasperated.

“I do not know.” Of course not. They were standing out here, not managing Callum’s schedule. She plopped down and decided to wait there. She thumbed the edge of the Sky magic book from outside her bag. She hoped that if she followed him back to Katolis, it wouldn’t be like this. He was a prince and had to do princely things and meetings. But hopefully she could at least be privy to his schedule and whereabouts. Maybe she could join the crown guard over there. It would be a good excuse to follow them around. And then she wouldn’t be stuck outside castle walls waiting for who knows how long.

.

“So, humans don't drink blood?” The guard asked again, unconvinced.

“Nope.” Rayla had been waiting for probably two hours. That would have been enough to piss her off, but the guards constant questions sure didn't help.

“But they do use it for dark magic!” The other guard cut in.

“Probably.” 

“You were traveling with humans. What _did_ they use for dark magic?” Rayla briefly thought through the various things Claudia has used. She recalled the one time Callum used dark magic, crushing a grub and how his green eyes turned black. She wasn't in the mood to regale the guards with stories though.

“The humans I was with didn't use dark magic.” That seemed to confuse the guards. 

“So then what did they do?”

“Not dark magic.” She didn’t want to talk about the primal stone or Callum forging a sky arcanum. She just wanted Callum to hurry his ass up with whatever the hell he was doing. Or at least send a message back. Stars and Moon above, how hard would it be to just send someone back to say ‘give me three hours’?

“Do you think they use elf blood for dark magic?” One of the guards whispered it like was something dirty.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I bet they have cages that they keep elves in, just to take their blood. You know they do that to cows.” The other guard added in. Although the conversation was stupid, and somewhat offensive, Rayla was glad that they paused with asking her questions.

“To cows?” The other was baffled. Rayla wasn’t certain what they were talking about but she wasn’t going to join in.

“Yeah, they make cheese from the blood and eat it.” Rayla blinked, trying to decide if that was true or not. Humans definitely ate weird stuff, and not all of it she could place. Have they ever fed cow blood cheese to her? Her stomach lurched at the thought.

They were about to continue when someone came trotting out from inside the castle. Rayla shot up from the ground and looked at her excitedly. It was a young Sunfire soldier, distinctly not Callum, but she hoped she had news.

“Are you Rayla?”

“Yeah”

“I bring word from the human prince.” Fucking finally. What was he doing in there, forging arcanimus with the other five primal sources?

“He says that he will not be seeing you. He thanks you for your services, and requests that return home.” Rayla's heart seemed to stop. She didn't know how to process the words. Callum had promised her they would talk. They were friends. He wouldn't send someone else to shoo her away like that.

“That's what Callum said?” Confusion and heartbreak wrestled inside her. That was not something Callum would say. Was he in trouble? The council seemed to accept him so she didn’t think it was that.

“Yes, directly from him,” she added. The Sunfire councilman's rang in her head. _Her group leader was taken out and she was easily manipulated_. It was a stupid idea. Of course Callum wasn't just tricking her. After all they had been through. No, something was wrong.

“Can I talk to him personally?” Rayla pressed.

“I'm afraid not. The human prince will not be seeing you. Is there anything else?”

“No,” Rayla almost spat the word. The Sunfire soldier turned and retreated back to the castle. One of the guards whistled.

“Man, humans are heartless,” the other added in. “Hey, at least you didn’t end up in a cage, being farmed for blood.” He seemed like he was actually trying to cheer her up. She fought the urge to punch him. Instead she walked away. Rayla didn't care to listen to them anymore.

Why wouldn’t he at least want to talk to her? He promised her they would talk. They were friends, at the very least. He said it himself. So why send a soldier out to shoo her away? Why not talk to her in person?

She had to admit that the Sunfire councilman was right about one thing. He never really had a choice to be around Rayla. They both had a mission to do, and it involved travelling together. Callum didn’t trust her at all when they started. Maybe he just learned to tolerate her for the sake of the mission. Maybe he never even liked her as a friend, but knew to keep things friendly enough to not cause tension. He was a prince, and he was trained for that kind of stuff. To be personable and polite. Like how he could suddenly talk all formal and princely. Maybe him being nice to her was just another act.

She clenched her jaw at the thought. She tried to tell herself it wasn’t true. What about the closeness, all the times they would touch? Well, he was fairly affectionate with Ezran. And he only got touchy with her after Ezran left, so maybe he was just the kind of person that needed some of amount of contact. She was the only person he could so much as talk to for over a month. That had to screw with him. She found herself ducking into an alleyway, just for the privacy.

Was that really it? He tolerated her because he had to, and he was socially deprived enough to act like a friend, or even a lover, at times? But now that he is around other people he is dropping her like a hot potato. They weren’t even friends, they never were. He never liked her, and now that he doesn’t need her for protection he wants her gone. And all the while she fell for him and managed to convince herself he liked her too. What a fucking fool she was. She wished she could go to Runaan but she didn’t even have him anymore. She had no one.

After a moment to collect herself, she returned to the busy street. She didn’t know where to go, but she wanted to leave. Leave the city and all the memories of the last few months. Leave that damn boy who stole and broke her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the story to work, Rayla needs to fuck off for a while. I'm sorry if it seems like she just accepted it too easily, I tried to make it more believable but ehhh. Things are getting a little bit heavier, and they will continue to get darker and then peak/level off at chapter 4. Rayllum week starts on Wednesday, and I'll be straddling my updates around it. Don't want this story to get lost in the flood of posts I hope to see. Expect chapter 3 on on the 18th or 19th. I will be posting stuff unrelated to this for Rayllum week (including some smut!) and I hope other writers will too.


	3. Realization

As it turned out, it was hard to capture the view from his window, even for Callum. He scrunched his nose at his sketch. He got all the details just fine, the forests, the mountains, the distant lake. But he couldn’t capture the depth, how things faded together or vanished into specks. He had never been so high up before, it was a new challenge.

A knock broke his concentration. He scurried away from the window and looked towards the door.

“Come in,” he called, trotting forwards. It was probably Rayla, and he was all too eager to see her again.

“I see that you have been given a room,” Suwin commented. His heart deflated. Well, she was bound to be along soon now that the council was done with her.

“Ah, yeah. The Oceanwave councilwoman gave it to me.” He fought back the disappointment when talking. “What’s her name by the way? I never got it.” Suwin gave him an odd look that he couldn’t place.

“Marus.” He stated flatly. “I was just speaking with her.” Callum expected the Sunfire elf to continue, but he didn’t.

“Oh. Well, I could talk with you guys some more. If you want. Or maybe…” He considered his options. Zym was delivered and he did his job of giving the message. So maybe he should return to Katolis soon.

“We would like you to stay a while. Callum, was it?” Suwin eventually spoke up again, as though reading his mind. He still had an odd look, one that Callum couldn’t place.

“Yeah, Callum,” he confirmed. “And I can stay. Rayla wanted to show me a ton of elf stuff, and I guess we can do that now.” Food, books, festivals. He could enjoy it properly now that he didn’t have to hide. And it would be nice to spend time with Rayla that wasn’t so… ‘about to die at any moment’ like.

Suwin grunted at his words. Callum again didn’t know what to make of it. “We would like you to stay within the castle, for the time being anyway. For your safety.” Callum felt like objecting. Did they really not have any way of signaling to the people _not_ to kill him? Though they’ve probably never had a friendly human wander around the city before.

“Do you know when Rayla will be here?” He asked. Maybe she could shed some light on the matter. Freedom or no, he still wanted to see her. She could at least bring him food and books that she wanted to show.

“Rayla.” He repeated her name and went silent for a moment. “I’m not sure. I believe she left the castle.” He finally said after a moment. Callum sulked at his words. Maybe she wanted to grab some stuff in the city?

“Well, rest up Callum. Gruwut wants to talk with you tomorrow. Meetings with him are usually long.” Suwin wandered out the door. Callum was glad about his departure, even if it was abrupt. The guy was starting to weird him out.

Callum didn’t know how long exactly he would be staying there. Maybe just another day for all he knew, it wasn’t like he was an experienced and knowledgeable diplomat suited for these negotiations. But the idea of having a room again was just too good. So he fully unpacked his bag and made the room his own. He thoroughly enjoyed the bathroom, which had water and soap. Oh, how he missed castle life.

He even took the liberty of sleeping in his undergarments when night finally hit. He had been sleeping in regular clothes for _months_. Though when he had awoken, he wish he had clean clothes to wear. Instead he was forced to put on his old, and very dirty, outfit. Somehow it made him feel less like an important diplomat and more like a drifter.

There was a knock on the door. It made him freeze for a moment. Reminded him that he was a child, all alone, in foreign- hostile even- lands. And the inhabitants were knocking on the door, looking for him. Suwin, maybe. The man unsettled Callum.

He opened the door and found that it was not, in fact, the angry councilman. Instead it was a nervous looking Moonshadow guard offering him a plate of food.

“Uh, breakfast. For the guest.” He pushed the plate forward, but his eyes didn’t leave Callum. Not so much Callum’s eyes, but rather his everything. The guard looked like a curious child, and seemed to take in every detail. Callum tried not to squirm under the look. He was probably the first human he ever saw, and he was just curious. Lord knows all the intense, studying stares he sent Rayla when they first started traveling together. She really was something special for putting up with him.

“Thanks,” Callum took the plate of food. He decided to give into the mutual curiosity between them and leave the door open. He was the only other Moonshadow elf Callum ever got a good look at. He couldn’t help but pick up all the similarities and differences he had from Rayla.

“What’s your name?” Callum asked, mostly to make the staring constant less awkward.

“Er, Luminos. Sir.” He answered after a moment. He didn’t look all that much more older than Soren, now that Callum was looking at him.

“My name is Callum. Prince of Katolis. Good to meet you.” Callum extended a hand. Luminos just stared at it. Callum became worried that elves didn’t shake hands like humans did, and he was just being weird.

“Ah, sorry. Do you not shake hands?” Callum immediately kicked himself for the wording. He made it sound like Luminos was a dog. Luminos, for his part, also seemed taken aback.

“Oh! No, no no. I do.” He grabbed Callum’s hand and bobbed it up and down. For as uncertain as Callum was about this all, Luminos seemed even worse. “Well, elves generally don’t. But we know that, um…” he stalled, looking for words that Callum couldn’t guess at. “Your kind do.” He gestured around Callum and he had to chuckle. _‘Human.’ The word you are looking for is ‘human’._ Luminos’ eyes dropped down to Callum’s hands again and he realized what it was. His hands, with five glorious fingers.

He decided to give the guard a better look, and spread out his fingers, palm up, in front of him. Luminos stared, intrigued, for a moment before-

“Luminos! Hurry up! You aren’t to talk to him.” A voice rang down the hallway. Luminos shrunk down like a scolded puppy. He mouthed a ‘sorry’ at Callum and scampered away. Callum took it as time to retreat back into his room and eat the food.

As objectively awkward as his encounter with Luminos was, it was a good distraction. The Oceanwave councilwoman- Marus, apparently- was far too intense for him and Suwin seemed like he would be a hard one to win over. Meeting people like Luminos was a nice reminder that humans and elves really weren’t that different.

.

Within an hour he was summoned back downstairs to meet with this ‘Gruwut’. Callum wasn't totally sure who he was, but he was glad that it wasn't Suwin or Marus. The Skywing elf was a woman, so that just left either the Earthblood or the Moonshadow. He wasn’t sure who he would prefer. Rayla was a Moonshadow, wherever she was, so maybe he could show off some familiarity with the race. 

When he passed by a row of windows overlooking the practicing mages he paused. They were there again, practicing a new spell. ‘Fulmin Jaculus’. It created a rod of lightning in their hands. They threw it towards a dummy and it sailed easily through the air. It seemed to be a version of Fulminos more suited for throwing. He committed it to memory before carrying on.

Gruwut, as it turned out, was the Earthblood elf. One with intense dark eyes that looked at Callum like he was a hunk of meat.

“You speak for your king about wanting peace, yes?” Callum hadn't even taken his seat when the questions started. Guess Gruwut wasn’t one for small talk.

“Yes, we both want to put an end to the war.” Just how much Callum could speak for Ezran wasn't clear. But he was confident in that much at least.

“And assuming this happens, would there be trade between Xadia and Katolis?” Callum hadn't thought that far ahead. Trade was good, right?

“Erm, yeah?” Gruwut cocked an eyebrow, probably at his uncertainty. Callum decided to muster up confidence and hope that he wouldn't make any bad promises. “Yes. If we can agree to peace.” He tried to play it off like Gruwut was jumping the gun. But the man snorted at his save. Callum doubted he was fooling him.

“Katolis, how big it is compared to the other human kingdom's?”

“We are the biggest. By a good bit.”

“And you trade with the rest of the kingdoms, yes?”

“For the most part, yes.” Commerce had always been a boring topic growing up. Callum really hoped he wouldn't push him too hard on the topic. Gruwut leaned forward intensely.

“Do you have lemon trees?” Callum blinked at the question. They had lemons, though he couldn't say for sure if they were imported or not.

“We have lemons.” He left it at that. Best not to make a complete fool of himself. Gruwut smiled widely, happy with the answer.

“Good, good.” He paused and Callum was tempted to ask what was important about lemons. Gruwut decided to spare him the breath. “We have oranges in Xadia but not lemons. People want lemon goods. Lemonade, lemon cakes, the like. So they try to make lemon substitutes by mixing vinegar with oranges- yes, I know-” he had to comment on Callum's disgusted face. Xadia, the land of magic, and _that_ is their best solution? “But actual lemons are a rare delicacy. We have many goods I'm sure Katolis citizens would be eager about. But…” he leaned forward, eyes hard and ready for a fight. “We will not be exporting anything that could be used for dark magic. And I won’t budge on that.”

“Oh, that's fine.” Relief and confusion flooded the man. “We- me and Ezran- don't really like dark magic anyway. We want to get rid of it.” Gruwut seemed to be at a loss of words. Silence hung between them and dragged out for entirely too long.

“If you could get us things to replace dark magic, like medicine and stuff, that would be great.” Callum tried to get the conversation going again but Gruwut still took a moment to talk. “We’d be happy to trade you lemons for them.” Still nothing.

“For longer than anyone's been alive, we have been fighting humans because they use dark magic. And now a human prince shows up, returns the Dragon Prince, wants to end the war and stop using dark magic. This is a situation people would sarcastically throw around when we talk about why we have the war.” Callum didn't know if that was good it bad. He couldn’t think of words and opted to keep his mouth shut.

“Alright.” Gruwut continued. “Let's talk carrots.” Callum was afraid to hear what they did to ‘make’ carrots.

.

Gruwut was by far Callum's favorite. He could be snarky and didn't have much patience, but he was just as enthusiastic about peace as Callum. Granted, he seemed more interested in establishing trade agreement than peace itself. But Callum would take it. It was a long, but productive meeting. So long that by the time he was sent back night had taken the castle. He was disappointed to see that the practicing mages had long since stopped.

He still had a guard escort but couldn't find the energy to talk to the guy. At least not until he opened the door to his room. He was so tired he almost missed it.

“Hey, where's my stuff?” The few things he brought with him were gone. Including the cube and his sketchbook.

“Confiscated.” The guard said plainly. A small bubble of panic started to rise. “To make sure none of it is dangerous or enchanted with dark magic.” The guard clarified. Callum was still not okay with it. If they were looking for evil weapons covered in magic blood, they wouldn't find much. But they would find the cube. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but it was important. He was pretty sure about that. Plus, he generally didn’t like people taking his stuff and and rifling through it. Anger simmered inside him and he considered what to do. And with a wave of defeat he realized that there wasn’t anything he _could_ do.

“Alright. When am I going to get it back?” He sighed, frustrated and defeated. There wasn't much he could do. Still, they couldn’t ask him about it? They had to sneak into his room and just take his stuff?

“Soon.” What an uninformative answer. It didn't help his mood.

“Alright, thanks.” He tried and failed to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. The guard didn’t seem offended though. He just silently left him alone in his room. Callum wandered over to his window but the view wasn't much. All here could see was black and a few splotches of less black. It must be a new moon, or close to it.

Rayla was probably grumpy. She usually was on new moons. She reminded him a lot of bait during them, though he would be scared to say so to her face. All slow and bitter faced. A smile forced its way into his face. He wondered where she was. They might had sent for her that day but he was so busy he missed her. Hopefully she wouldn't be mad. He missed her, he thought rather pitifully.

There was a knock, but the guard didn't bother to wait to be invited in. Callum might want to talk to them about the liberties they were taking with his personal space and belongings.

“We have a chance of clothes for the human prince,” the guard announced, showing a stack of folded clothes. Callum was thankful for them. Fresh, clean clothes. A good selection too, including underwear and sleepwear. Though he still wanted his own stuff back, it did help his mood.

“Thanks. Do you know when will I get my stuff back?” He would like to at least get his sketchbook to help relax and pass the time.

“Soon.” It was the only answer he got. Same as before. Callum bit back a frustrated groan.

“Alright,” he grumbled, accepting he wouldn't get anything else from him. The guard didn't leave though.

“I have to request that you change clothes.”

“Uh, I’ll do it after you leave,” he tried to dismiss the guard. Instead the guard stared intently at him.

“I need to insist that you change now.” Callum was confused at what exactly he meant, and why. His stomach dropped as he realized that he was expected to strip down in front of this guy. He paused and stared at the guard. Was he really expected to take off his clothes in front of him? Did he _really_ have to? The guard was a large, imposing sunfire elf. He was older and his face was hard. For as long as Callum watched him he saw no flicker of sympathy or doubt. The elf didn’t waver and Callum decided he didn't have much of a choice.

“Okay, well, can you turn around at least?” It came out more as a plea than anything else. With Gruwut he felt like a real diplomat, championing for peace. Now he felt so helpless in front of this towering man.

“No.” Callum’s heart sank even further. He stared at the guard, silently begging for privacy. The guard didn't budge. Callum caved after a minute of his intense stare. He was vaguely worried that if he didn’t comply, the guard would forcefully undress him. He tried to tell himself that it was a stupid thought, but in the cold room with the imposing man and his hard stare, he wasn’t sure.

Decency had been drilled into him from a young age and it felt so incredibly wrong to expose himself to someone. The hard, unwavering stare of the stranger made it worse.

He started easy by tugging off his scarf and sliding his jacket off. He threw a pensive stare back at the unmoving guard. He fingered the bottom of his shirt, trying to forget that the guard was there. With a firm pull and twist of the arm, his upper body was exposed. He made a conscious effort to not look at the guy but boy he could _feel_ him. The cool mountain air moved around his exposed chest and it felt so much colder than it really was. Callum shivered and tried to imagine being back in Katolis, undressing as though it was a normal night.

He paused, still very uncomfortable but needing to work himself up for the next step. With a heaving breath, he decided to be quick with it. His fingers fumbled with his belt and as soon as it was allowed he pulled down his trousers. He vainly fought the grimace that took permanent residence on his face. The cool air explored his legs and he reached into the pile of clothes to put an end to the whole experience.

“I must insist that the young prince _fully undress_.” Callum froze. It wasn’t that he forgot the man, but hearing his voice shattered any small delusion that he was alone. He was already so exposed to this man. The only thing left was his underpants and he _really_ didn’t want to part with them. He felt himself frozen, stuck being huliminatingly exposed but unwilling to go further to end it.

Callum let out a shuddering sigh. He flicked his underwear off and tried to ignore the burly guard staring at his completely nude body. Something was twisting around in his gut and he just wanted it to end. He quickly dug through the clean clothes and found some new underwear. He dressed himself clumsily in his haste. He imaged all the new views and angles he was giving the guards as he fought to get his legs into the underpants. The pants came on easier, thankfully, but the shirt latched together in odd places. He doubted he had it on right, but he just want the guard to _leave already_.

It wasn't until he was fully dressed did the guard finally moved. Callum kept his eyes on the floor, just wishing for the man to go. The guard bent down and picked up his old clothes. Wordlessly he carried then out the door and finally left Callum alone. The feelings of being violated didn't leave with the guard though.

He was gone, and for that Callum was deeply thankful. But the guard seemed to take something with him. His dignity, sense of safety, the warmth in the room. With dread still flooding his body, he tried to take comfort in the bed. But it was just as cold and hostile as the rest of the room.

.

Callum didn't sleep well. The clean clothes only served to make him feel unnerved and exposed. He struggled to get comfortable. Rather, he struggled to feel safe. He was acutely aware of the guard stationed outside his room. Was he the same one? Would he barge in again? What else would the guards make him do? He heard when the shifts changed. There were muffled voices that he couldn't quite make out. He could finally fall into broken sleep with the belief that the guard was gone, replaced by someone else. Someone nicer.

As the first colors of dawn started to fill his room, he gave up on sleeping. Instead he decided to get up and get ready for the day. He wanted terribly to go home, and the sooner he could work out the details with the council, the sooner that could happen. Though he _still_ didn’t know where in the world Rayla ran off to. And he didn’t want to just leave without at least talking to her. Figuring out how to keep in touch. And he should at least get his cube back, if nothing else.

The sun had been up for not much more than a couple hours before a Skywing elf came by with food. He noted that his stuff wasn't included, but he didn't have the courage to ask about it. The Skywing was clearly a servant rather than a guard. It put Callum as ease sightly, but he was still longing for comfort.

“We hope that you will find this food satisfactory. We are uncertain of any human dishes,” he seemed legitimately concerned about it. The food was the least of Callum’s concerns.

“I'm sure it's fine,” Callum said from across the room. He wanted privacy again, but the servant took a moment to study him.

“I am amazed you made it all the way here. Is it true that you returned the Dragon Prince?” The elf adjusted his glasses and stared at Callum in awe. Callum shifted uncomfortably. The man was nice enough but he still felt violated from last night's incident. He just wanted to feel safe again and strangers in his room didn’t help.

“Yeah. It was supposed to be a message of peace.” Supposed to. Callum didn't feel like they were at peace though.

“Hm. Remarkable, truly. Well, I'll be on my way. If you desire anything else, send word.” The kind man offered as he left, which Callum was very grateful for. He inspected the food. It was good. Different from what he was use to but still very palatable. He looked out his window and took in the view. It really was amazing. The city was just as vibrant and alive. The green forests, gray cliffs, and blue haze coated everything in the distance. The window was west facing, judging by the view of sunsets. And that meant that even if he can’t see it, he was looking towards Katolis. The thought made him a little bit happy. Katolis. Home.

He heard a knock and again, and an uninvited guard was in his room within moments. He was mildly pleased to see it wasn't the same from last night. But the fact that they were entering his room freely still unsettled him deeply.

“Your presence was requested by Suwin.” It was an order. Callum left the room and let the guard guide him down the stairs and across the hallways. The mages were practicing again, and it was a nice distraction from the general unease that set in last night. The young mages looked frightened by the rune they were drawing.

_Salirum_. Callum jerked as one seemed to explode. There were no flames but the poor girl landed a few feet away. Hard. The other mage landed in the same spot he took off from, much more gracefully. Some kind of jumping spell?

.

He was back in the familiar room where the council met, but this time there was only one member, the Sunfire general. He was definitely Callum's least favorite of the bunch thus far.

“Welcome back,” his amber eyes pierced Callum. 

“Thanks,” the word was bitter in his mouth. “Where's Rayla?” The question was burning in his heart. He needed her strength to feel safe, her wit to feel calm, and her friendship to feel comfortable. He just needed her so badly. He hoped she wasn't mad with how busy Callum was, that he couldn’t go find her. The general grunted, displeased by the question.

“Yes, about her. She left.” Suwin’s face searched his carefully. Callum’s heart dropped.

“What do you mean?”

“She left the city. I don’t know where she went, probably back to her home.” Suwin waved his hand, as though it was all mundane and obvious. Callum’s gut twisted.

“No. She wouldn’t.” She wanted to talk to him. They said they were friends. She wouldn’t just leave, not like that. Suwin sighed with frustration.

“She is a soldier. She made a decision to deliver the Dragon Prince home and allow you to follow. She did just that, and she continued on with her life. Don’t read too far into it.” Silence fell as Callum thought through his words. No, it didn’t seem right. Something was wrong.

“Now,” he continued. “You say you want peace between Xadia and Katolis,” he said it like it was a punchline to a joke. This entire man left a foul taste in Callum's mouth. He was still trying to piece together the matter with Rayla, but realized he would have to think about it later.

“Yes, we don't have to fight.”

“And king Ezran shares this sentiment?”

“Yes, completely.” Callum was infinitely grateful his brother turned back when he did. Something was horribly wrong, and at least Ezran wasn’t stuck in it like he was.

“And will humans immediately cease all dark magic?” It was a tricky topic.

“We can start replacing it with the help of elves.” Regardless of how Callum felt about it, dark magic was an important part of their civilization. It was part of their military, medicine, education, and everyday life. They couldn't just stop it, but they could learn to replace it. Gruwut seemed happy with the idea of selling Xadian alternatives. It could work.

“So you want us to give you aid while you continue to use dark magic?” The Sunfire general sneered at the idea.

“If you want us to stop using dark magic, yes.” He wanted to add that they could trade goods. Apparently lemons were in high demand and short supply in Xadia.

“Or we could invade Katolis and bring it to a stop immediately.” He said it so seriously, like it wasn’t a stupid idea.

“Thousands would die, human and elf,” Callum protested. Callum knew it wasn’t doable for Xadia either. If it was such a great idea, why didn’t they do it already?

“A necessary sacrifice,” Callum felt like he was getting nowhere. Truthfully, he wasn't even the best person for these talks. He had a high title, but was just a kid. These talks needed to be had by people with a deeper understandings of the topic. He wanted to go home already, to see Ezran, be in his own room, and feel safe again. He decided to broach the topic of him returning. Maybe he could ask other people about Rayla.

“Sir, I'm not the best person to talk to about this. I could go back to Katolis and we can send better people to negotiate,” Callum tacitly admitted.

“I don't think that would be prudent.” Suwin said it immediately, his voice tense.

“Why not? I don't even have the authority,” Callum hated how much like a child he was sounding. But he justed wanted to go home. “We can continue this later. When we are better prepared.” Callum was ready to leave.

“I would like you stay here for a while longer,” the general stood and gestured a guard towards him. He said something to the guard and within the moment Callum was being returned to his room. The dread in his gut grew. 

.

He knocked gently on the door. There was a guard out there, he knew it. He could feel it.

“Yes?” The voice of the guard shot back immediately.

“Can I get some books?” Callum asked. There was a pause.

“No.”

“Any kind of book, just to pass the time. Please?” His meeting with Suwin was a lot less productive than with Gruwut. It lasted less than an hour and he found himself back in his room before lunch time.

“No.” There wasn't even a pause that time.

“What about some paper and pencil to draw with?”

“No.” Callum huffed. He could understand wanting to check his stuff for dangerous things, though he had no idea why it took so long to do so. But why not give him a book to read? Or something to draw with?

“Can you get me anything to do for fun?”

“...No.” Callum glared at the door.

“And I'm guessing I'm not allowed to explore the castle.”

“No.”

“Is that the only thing to can say to me?”

“That is the answer to your questions.” Callum groaned and moved towards the window to watch the city. There wasn't anything new or exciting about it but apparently they can't get him _any_ source of entertainment. He couldn't even make out the people, so he couldn't people watch.

When that got too boring he decided to return to the guard.

“So what's your name?” Another pause.

“Denalous,” he sounded so weary.

“So Denalous, what do you like to do for fun?” There was an even longer pause. Callum almost thought he chose to ignore him.

“Is there a point to this question?”

“Just trying to make conversation,” Callum grumbled.

“I'm afraid I cannot indulge you then,” came the unsurprising reply. Callum was left to pace the room and stare out the window in boredom. He thought about his short meeting with Suwin. He insisted that Callum stay. He didn’t say why, just like it would be ‘prudent’. But what would be the point if he isn’t willing to compromise? The guy would rather send thousands of elves to die in Katolis then even try to talk to Callum. For the umptenth time that day, he wished he could just go home.

.

Most of the day had passed and he had done nothing else. He explored every inch of his room, noting the engravings on the furniture. He studied the architecture of the buildings below. In another hour or so the sun would set. He hadn't even been fed since breakfast, and the pure boredom had exasperated his appetite. He made his way over to the door and knocked once again.

“Denalous, are you still there?” He knew it wasn't true, but he liked to think that guard was a friend. He was the only person at all he could currently talk to.

“Yes.” Callum had to smile at finally getting a ‘yes’ out of him.

“Any idea when my next meal will be?”

“I'm afraid not.” Callum frowned as realization set in. He didn’t have lunch, and there was no sign of dinner. He doubted they just forgot about him. They were withholding food. The general councilman didn’t like their conversation, and he wanted to show Callum that he was a prisoner being treated as a guest. A blanket of thick, cold terror set in.

He reflected on the conversation more. Callum asked to go home and he was denied. He was being starved just for asking to go home. They weren’t even considering letting him go home. Rayla was gone, they separated her from him. The full weight of his situation started to hit him. He was alone, deep into Xadia. There was no hope of rescue and he was entirely at their mercy. He imagined that returning Zym would curry enough good favor to get him home at least, but in retrospect that was a stupid idea notion. The war was far too old and bloody for it to end just like that. And Callum is a valuable prisoner.

_A prisoner._

He could die there. The thought froze his blood. He might never see Ezran again. Or Amaya or Claudia. Or Rayla. He was going to die in that city, there in that castle while those damn elves watch. He’d die at their hands. And where the hell did Rayla go? Did she really just leave him there? Was returning Zym all she cared about and to hell with him? That was her primary goal as soon as she saw the egg. She didn’t even want to travel with them at first. She just humored them and once she got her way she trotted off into the sunset. 

He took a deep breath, calming himself. He was panicking. He needed to relax and think clearly. They weren't going to kill him, he was far too valuable. They would ransom him back to Katolis. Definitely. Though the intrusive thought of them killing Ezran for the sake of it left him with doubt. They were willing to send an entire squad of assassins just for his life so why wouldn't they kill Callum? What did humans have that they even wanted? Blood. They only wanted human blood.

Rayla would be back. She has to know something was wrong, right? And she would be willing to betray Xadia to single handedly fight off hundreds of guards to save him? The thought turned sarcastic. Rayla couldn't help him even if she wanted to. No one could. He was going to die there.

“Denalous?” Callum walked to the door, seeking the only faint comfort he knew.

“No.” It wasn't Denalous’ voice but it was familiar. Callum winced and instinctively moved away. It was the guard from last night. The one that brought him clothes. Maybe he would be the guard to kill him while a crowd of elves cheered.

He looked out the window at the night sky. The're must of been a change in guards while he was thinking. Callum didn't want to talk to that guard. Instead he went to the window and opened it. Cold mountain air whipped his face but it was relieving. It was chilly, like when he was made to undress, but refreshing. It was lively. It ruffled his hair and filled the room with crisp, cool fresh air. It was a reminder that there was a world outside the castle. If only he could leave. With the wind soothing him, the panic eased down into a deep dread that clung to him for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the real story begins. It is now getting kinda heavy. Next chapter is about as dark as it is going to get though. You can probably guess where things are heading. Hint, he's going to be really be a sad prince. I will say that there won't be any kind of sexual abuse (beyond what we saw in this chapter). I meant the undressing thing to be more about domination and humiliation rather than anything sexual, but I get that it is easy to read it like that.
> 
> Now that Rayllum week is over, I'll go back to updating. And boy, have I been busy. You might notice that the expected total chapters increased to 14. That's because I have the entire story outlined, so woo! I also have drafts all the way to chapter 7. The latest I'll update is the 24th, one week from today. But most likely I'll update sooner.


	4. Hope

His stomach ached. As he suspected, there was no dinner. Between the lack of food and the implications of the lack of food, he didn’t do much sleeping. He spent all night with his stomach twisting and his mind racing. And to his despair, no breakfast followed either. It had been a full day since he ate. He was left to wallow in fear and hunger with no distractions. To pace his grand, luxurious cell and just think about what awaited him. He was a prisoner. The thought was inescapable.

It was perhaps a mercy when the guard summoned him downstairs. A chance to talk, to bargain for his freedom. Or so he thought.

“General Suwin has requested your presence,” it was Denalous and for the first time Callum could put a face to the name. He looked about as Callum imagined. A middle-aged Sunfire elf with a stern face.

Callum lifted himself out of his seat and walked to the door. His body was heavy and his movements sluggish. It wasn’t just the fear. The lack of food was wearing on him. He was always well fed in Katolis, and even when in Xadia Rayla was able to get regular meals.

 

He groaned when he got to the stairs. Maybe he would pass out and fall down to his death. _It would solve all my problems_ , he darkly mused. He begun the descent thankful he was going down at least. Guard or no guard, he wouldn't be walking back up without food in him.

“Move faster,” Denalous barked after a few minutes.

“Hey, you can either starve me or have me move fast, not both,” Callum was surprised by the amount of lip he was giving the guard. He almost expected to be hit. Instead Denalous hummed in understanding.

“That is fair,” Callum was far too touched by the miniscule amount of compassion. He wasn't even nice, Callum had to keep reminding himself. He was just being reasonable.

He was panting when he got to the bottom. He walked a few more feet before taking a rest by a window. It was calculated. Callum almost felt like he was abusing Denalous’ compassion. Outside the mages were practicing again. A new day, a new spell. 

“Volanious,” the glow of the rune moved back towards the mages and covered their bodies. In an instant they were gone, replaced by birds. Different species, but they were all raptors. And, Callum noted, they had horns similar to their original Skywing bodies. Now that was an interesting spell.

“You've rested long enough,” Denalous put a rough hand on him, pushing him back into motion. Callum didn't fight it.

Another day, another meeting with General Suwin. Though Callum became confused when he was herded past the normal door and further down the hallway.

“Where are we going?” Denalous looked guilty for a moment. A new wave of unease blossomed in Callum.

“Down,” he guided Callum down some stairs. A foul smell covered the new space. The lighting was also much worse, in part because of the lack of windows. There were cells and chains lining the walls. Callum's heart sank. It was their dungeon. They were dropping with the pretense of him being a guest. He pushed to go home, and they were making it clear that would never happen.

His mind went numb as a pair of shackles clamped around his wrists. The metal was cold but all he could feel was the heat from his pulsing blood. Chains connected him to the ceiling, keeping him from running. It couldn't be happening. He was a boy, a kid. Just a few months ago he was happy at home with Harrow and Ezran and everything was fine.

He remembered the previous night, opening the window and the cold air greetings him. He could have left then. He could have jumped out the window and fallen to a certain death. It would have been instant, better than whatever awaited him there in the dungeon. He knew on a primal level that when they killed him, he would be begging for death. That was what happened in dungeons like that one.

“Ah, Callum, nice to see you,” Suwin had appeared from somewhere, Callum wasn't sure where. The room was poorly lit and he couldn't see the edges. His legs were weak. He tried to sit but the chains pulled, keeping him from reaching the floor. So he stood, despite the rubbery feeling in his knees.

“Sorry about the change of rooms, I hope you don't mind.” Callum still couldn't say anything. Why bother with formalities anyway? He was a prisoner. He was going to die. They were going to do things to him that were worse than death. And then they were going to kill him.

“You came from so far away. We know little about Katolis, despite being neighbors. I hope you can change that,” his voice was gentler than he'd ever heard it. Callum let a whimper escape him when he realized that must be where the general was most comfortable. Torturing prisoners of war.

“Don't cry little boy,” he cupped Callum's face. “Your fate is entirely in your hands.” It really didn't seem that way. He wanted to go home.

“Now, did your dad ever talk to you about his armies?” He had. Ezran was crown prince but Callum was second in line. _Ezran will look to you as an advisor._ Harrow's voice rang through his head, trying to assure him it wasn’t just about in case Ezran died. Though that was certainly part of it. Royalty die. Harrow died. Ezran almost died. Callum was about to die.

“No.” Callum knew it was the wrong answer. He knew Suwin would get the right answer. But part of him wouldn’t allow it to happen that easily. He couldn’t just give in.

“Oh child, I think you are lying.” His voice was still sickly sweet and Callum flinched. Suwin wandered over to a table across the room. It was too dimly lit to see what was on the table. Callum’s imagination went wind. He was never involved in this side of negotiations, so he didn’t exactly know the common methods. But he never forgot when Amaya told him there were ways to get people to say things. That anyone, even the toughest, most hardened soldiers would talk given enough time. Callum was far from a tough, hardened soldier.

He stared down at his cuffed wrists, waiting. It felt surreal but that primitive part of him still knew something awful was coming. Suwin appeared with a rag and a jug of water. Callum was dumbfounded. Here was he expecting knives and fire. What, was Suwin going to make him wash behind his ears?

The general pushed on Callum’s forehead, tilting his head back. The rag was over his face and then he was drowning. The water was smothering him and filling him and he couldn’t breathe. Just breathe just breathe. That’s what his mom said but he couldn’t breathe. 

Air. He greedily sucked in a breath as best as he could. The rag was still there but the water was gone and his mouth was free. He coughed and choked on the water still in his lungs but he could breathe again. Air tentatively explored his lungs. It burned and stung but it was so good.

The water was back too soon. He sucked in large amounts and it didn’t leave. The air was gone and his body twisted to find it but no. He was drowning again and mom why can’t he breathe. Why why why there was only water, filling him and drowning him.

Air again. He was almost afraid to breathe. Coughs racked him body, trying to suck in air. He could feel the water leave his lungs and slowly, painfully be replaced by air. His chest heaved and struggled to fill his lungs with breath. The cloth was gone and so was Suwin’s hand keeping his head in place.

“So, about those armies,” Suwin’s voice brought him back to reality. His chest ached and every lull of his head caused pain to radiate through it.

“We have 50,000 soldiers,” he struggled to get the breath to say the words. “Most-” coughs took over him. “Most are at the Breach. The rest are at the borders with Duren and Del Bar.”

“What a good boy you are now.” Suwin patted his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, just wanting to go back to his room. “You should know, this one is just for fun.” The rag and hand returned and oh Moon and Stars he couldn't breathe again. Why, he talked- why can’t he breathe. The water filled him again, replacing the air and the breath with lifeless water and please stop. It wasn’t stopping the water was filling him he was going to die.

His chest hurt, he could hardly force the water out of his body when the air returned. He felt like his body was ready to give up trying. To just let the water steal his breath and smother him. He closed his eyes and tried to think of home. Of Harrow and Ezran and Bait. Playing hide and seek in the castle and sneaking Ezran jelly tarts.

“Now, talk to me about the occupation at Fort Millon,” Suwin’s question ripped him back to reality. Millon, it was a larger fort by the Breach. Callum legitimately knew very little about it. He knew big picture details about the armies, but he wasn’t involved in planning. He was a kid, of course he wasn’t.

“I… I don’t know.” Suwin struck him hard in the ribs. Pain filled him and the precious air in his lungs was knocked out. He was again struggling to breathe. Callum tried to fall down but the chains kept him standing. His muscles were forced to work even though they were crying in pain. He felt a sharp pain at his wrist and saw bloody cuts where metal met flesh. He must of trashed hard enough to cut himself. He didn’t realize it, but he didn’t notice anything except the water when he was drowning.

Suwin was moving towards the water jug and rag. Panic filled Callum and he talked.

“It’s our most defended fort. We send supplies there every week. A-and probably a hundred soldiers.” It was all lies. He really knew nothing of the fort but he just didn’t want the water again.

“Hm. And what is one of your more poorly defended forts?” Callum had no idea. He scanned his memories for any obscure fort.

“Fort Green Leaf. It’s in the north, near Duren.” He didn’t know where Fort Green Leaf was or if it was all that poorly defended. Amaya referred to it as ‘slow’ five years ago. That was the extent of his knowledge about it. But every breath felt like fire in his lungs and his ribs ached from the hit. He needed food and rest and to just be safe again.

“You’ve been very informative boy.” Suwin strolled out of the room and Callum felt muscles relax that he didn’t know were tense. His thoat ached and his head pounded. He was weak from hunger and fatigued from exhaustion but the chains forced him to stand. He was stuck forcing his weak legs to hold him up or having the metal chains dig into his cuts. Water soaked his jacket and it was starting to chill his flesh. 

He thought of Rayla. Just days ago they were camping under the night stars. They were excited to be there. She was staring at him with sweet lavender eyes. She’d tease him about getting winded but it was all in fun. He pointed out that she was also panting. She gave him a playful shove. They were close enough to share warmth in the cold mountain night. Her body felt sweet pressed against his for reasons more than warmth. She smelled floral but earthy. Scents that he couldn’t place and decided to say she smelled like the moon. He didn't even know what that meant and he knew she would be laughing at him if he ever told her. But he would happily tell her if only to see her again. He missed her.

A sob forced its far out of his chest without him even noticing. He would never see her again. He wouldn't make good on his promise to talk to her before he left. Would she even know what happened to him? Or would she think that he did just disappear back to Katolis?

He wanted to sit but couldn't. Eventually the fear died down and sleep tried to pull him away, but it couldn't either. He was forced to stand, to stay awake even though his body cried for rest. To wallow in fear and self pity. For hours or days, he couldn't say. He wondered if that was how he was going to die. Forgotten in a dungeon.

They left him there for a while. He didn’t know how long. There were no windows or guards or servants. No food or water. He couldn’t even sleep or relax with the chains. His legs grew weaker and weaker until they simply couldn't hold his full weight. The cold metal shackles took what his legs couldn't. They dug and burrowed further into his bruised and cut flesh. It hurt but he just couldn't help it. The pain robbed him of any rest that could have been.

Eventually, he hears footsteps. “This is _not_ what we decided on Suwin.” A soft, familiar voice drifted through the dark dungeon. Callum couldn't place it though. He was so tired and hungry and hurt.

“I need information. You can't expect me to let a situation like this pass me by?” Suwin's voice was immediately recognized. Callum tried to move, to hide or run or something. But even if he wasn't chained, he was far too weak to do anything.

“Oh Suwin, there was so much we _could_ have done.” The Oceanwave councilwoman appeared. Conflicting memories of her ran through his head. But she talked sweet and fed him, gave him a nice room. He lurched towards her, hopeful. Her eyes met his and distress filled her face. She looked over his body, his place in the dungeon and the chains that kept him there. He was probably a pitiful sight but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Would she free him? Take him to Rayla and they could both go to Katolis where he would be safe?

“Oh, what did he do to you?” Her fingers brushed along his jaw and in her eyes he saw safety and freedom.

“I didn't leave any marks,” Suwin defended himself like a child. “I just used water.” Callum's breath hitched at the word. Water. He didn't want the water again.

“You emotionally ruined him,” she countered. She left Callum's side to face Suwin. “He was a child! Malleable, gullible. We could have groomed him. If we disposed of Ezran, made it look like a human kingdom did it, we could have had a puppet in control of Katolis.” Callum struggled to follow the words. He didn't want to hear them, he wanted her to save him. “Well, he's not going to be our puppet leader any time soon thanks to you.”

“He wanted to leave. He wasn't going to stay long enough for that. I needed to make a decision and I made one.” Suwin continued to defend himself. The woman sighed and looked over Callum sadly. Another wave of anger flashed through her face. She looked at his wrists.

“You _did_ leave marks!” She announced. “Use padded shackles for him, otherwise the metal cuts.” She thumbed the broken flesh. Callum hissed at the pain but couldn't do much else. Suwin grunted apologetically.

“Do you really think they are going to want his body back? We could burn it preemptively.” 

“If we want Ezran to go along with story of his mysterious illness, yes, they will want a body. We need to keep him alive long enough for his wrists to heal. Then we can get rid of him.”

They were talking about disposing of his body. They were going to kill him he was going to die there. The councilwoman wasn't going to free him, she was going to kill him. No one was going to save him. It was too much for Callum. Hearing them plan on how to torture him, kill him, destroy his body, lie to Ezran. Kill Ezran and invade Katolis, kill everyone. Torture Ezran like they were doing to him. He squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself away.

He remembered when he was young, Ezran's age. Ezran was hardly more than a baby. It had just rained and they were in the garden, collecting bugs. They dug through wet muddy soil and filled a bucket. Dad was angry and said it wasn't very princely. He made them take a bath and told him that he still loved them afterwards.

“And you think Ezran would believe he just died?” Suwin scoffed, bringing him back to reality.

“Yes, it’s well known that elf diseases can ravage humans. And Rayla said that Ezran was younger than Callum. He is even more gilliable.” His ears perked up at the mention of her name. Rayla. Rayla said that Ezran was younger and more gullible. Was she working with them too? No, Rayla couldn’t, she would never. They were friends. She couldn’t she couldn’t she couldn’t.

“Take him back to his room. We don't want the keepers to get suspicious.” Those words were interesting. They meant something, that somewhere in the castle, someone wouldn't approve of his treatment. Where were the keepers? Would they save him?

Suwin fiddled with his shackles. He was far too close to Callum. His face was in the man's chest but the intimacy was all wrong. Then Suwin stepped away and his arms were free.

His legs didn't even try. They felt like straw and instantly collapsed under him. The dungeon floor was wet with filth but Callum couldn't bring himself to move. How long was he awake for? How long had it been since he ate? How long was he forced to stand there? Hours, maybe a day. 

Marus, he recalled her name, offered him a bread roll that he greedily took. Princely manners be damned, he needed it in his body. He shoved large pieces into his mouth. He chewed as briefly as he could. Anything to get into his body faster.

“You're going to lose it if you eat so fast,” her voice was soft and sweet and Callum hated it. He hated her and Suwin and all elves. Was Rayla working with them, telling them how to manipulate him and Ezran? Her words weren't untrue though, and he did find himself fighting to keep the bread down.

“Take him back to his quarters,” Suwin commanded. A guard slinked out of the darkness and pulled him to his feet. How long has he been there? The guard pushed him along the hallways and stairs, at times carrying most of his weight. The castle was empty and dark. Was it really only a few hours he was down there? Or was it over a day? No one was there to witness the burly guard wrap a powerful arm around his waist and support the limping, pale boy up the tower. In his room, he collapsed into the bed and immediately fell asleep.

.

When he woke up, the room was as beautiful and peaceful as ever. It made the previous day seem like a nightmare. But the aches that covered his body, and in particular his chest, made him know otherwise. He laid in bed a long time after he woke up. He didn't want to force himself up. He just wanted to be home.

Eventually the door opened. Like a child he pulled the blankets over his head and just… hoped they wouldn't see him. It was stupid but there was nothing else to do. He was powerless. There was a soft thud and he heard the person leave. He turned and saw something worth getting up for. A tray of food. He pulled his aching body out of bed and moved to the table.

He ate slower that time, letting the food settle comfortably in his empty body. He rolled the situation over in his head. It seemed like a distant, horrid memory in his warm, well lit room. He forced himself to accept that it wasn’t.

They were going to kill him. There wasn't any room for delusions or false hopes anymore. He had at least until his wrists healed, maybe a week. What was he going to do about it? He didn't have the stealth to sneak out. He again had to remind himself that Rayla wasn't going to save him. For all he knew, she was working with him. Though with sleep and food in him he wondered if she understand what was happening to him. Maybe she just didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Regardless, she was gone and wasn’t going to save him. That much was clear. He learned a few new spells, but he was far away from being able to battle his way out. Even at odd hours, the castle was well protected. And the guards probably knew how to fight. He would instantly be subdued. A cold chill ran through him thinking about what Suwin would do to him if he tried to escape.

He glanced at the window and a dark thought fluttered through his mind. They were going to say he died of a mysterious illness, and that the elves weren't responsible. And they would present a clean body as evidence. But if he jumped from the window, that plan would be shot. Why would he jump to his death if everything was hunky dory? That way at least Ezran would know not to trust them. Hopefully.

He moved to look out the window. He looked straight down. The ground was so far away it made his gut squirm and the room seemed to go sideways. For Ezran. For himself. A quick death would be better than more nights in the dungeon. He rested a hand on the glass, ready to push it open.

Wait. Wait wait wait. He learned that spell, Volanious. The one that could him into a bird, with wings and everything. Which meant he might, in theory, be able to jump out the window and _not_ die. Despite his morbid line if thinking, he very much wanted to not die. If it was at all still on the table, that is.

They didn't know he could do sky magic. It had never come up. But if they learned, they might move him to a windowless room. They didn't seem to be taking any chances, considering his missing stuff and constant escorts. So it would be super important they not catch him using any sky magic. Fueled by sleep, food, and hope he moved to the bathroom.

The guards entered his room freely. In the bathroom he would at least have a few seconds of a warning. Carefully, he drew the rune with a still shaky hand and whispered the word _volanious_. He wouldn't say it hurt, but it was rather uncomfortable. Suddenly the world was bigger and he felt like he was wearing too tight clothes that pushed his body in odd directions. He struggled to stand, and after that, to keep his balance. The sounds of flapping wings and glimpses of brown feathers told him that spell worked at least.

Though he had no kind of ‘birdly instinct’ on how to control this body. And as time wore on he got more and more uncomfortable. Like being crammed in a hole that wasn't human shaped or sized. His muscled ached and became harder to move.

Having gotten a sense of balance, he experimentally spread his wings. He brought them down. He could feel the air fight his movements, but his body didn't do any lifting off. He thought back to Zym and the motions he made when flying. Callum pushed his partially folded wings high as he could and brought them down.

The air under his wings fought him even harder, but he felt weight lift off his legs. Not enough to get airborne, but enough to throw his wobbly balance and cause him to topple. It caused his aching limbs to flare with pain. Something in him let go and the next thing he knew he was laying on the floor in a human body. His shoulders and chest were sore but his hope was burning brighter than ever. He could do this. If he played his cards right, he could escape.

.

Callum had learned some important details in the following days. The most important one was that Suwin what a sadist. Okay, maybe it's not the most important one, just the one that haunted him the most. Trips to the dungeon seemed to be a daily part of Callum's life. He’d wake up every morning, and just wait for the guard to take him. He was at least given food, but breakfast had far too much anxiety with it to stomach much. On the plus side, he was able to add new spells to his repository.

He'd say anything, usually a blend of truth and lies, for mercy. But Suwin would abuse him regardless. He realized that it really was just for fun. Regardless of what Callum said, he would continue. Truth, lie, nothing, it made no difference to the Sunfire General. Though he was careful to not leave any marks after the first day.

No, the most important thing, he would guess, was that flying was hard. He completely understood why Zym was having a difficult time. It wasn't just about coordination, which Callum lacked, but also about building the right muscles. Callum was bad at that too.

The last important thing he learned was that flesh heals fast. Far too fast. He was in the bathroom, scowling at the vaguely cuff shaped wounds around his wrist. Flesh was knitting back together, despite how much Callum willed it not to. The bruises were a faded yellow.

“Alright, guess I'll buy myself some time.” He said to himself. Absent from any kind of friendly social interaction, he had taken to talking to himself. 

He pressed the nail of his thumb under the scab on his wrist. It hurt but he picked it off and scratched exposed flesh. Come on, a little bit of pain for another day of life. Every day counted. There was a block in his mind that seemed to prevent him from doing too much damage. Even though he knew those wounds were literally the only thing keeping him alive, all he could do was draw a few drops of blood.

“Come on. Be strong for Ezran.” He thought of his brother. He couldn't imagine what losing Callum would do to him. Would he blame himself? Would he turn into a bitter king? No, he couldn't let that happen. Ezran needed him to help him grow up. He lost his parents, he can't lose his big brother too. Callum couldn’t let that happen.

Giving up on picking the wounds, he decided to practice flying more. He drew the now familiar rune and whispered the word.

“Volanious,” he said it softly so no guards could hear. He was getting better at moving in the smaller body. He was able to jump a good distance with a helpful flap. He perched on the bathroom vanity and looked at himself in the mirror. Brown wings with white white chest and head. Brown stripes left his eyes and wrapped around his body. An osprey. He didn't know why. He wasn't that into water or fish, but whatever. Anything with wings.

He jumped off the furniture and spread his wings. It was much easier to glide than to fly. Another important lesson. He shouldn't have to fly, just glide down and land. That’s all he needed to do. Jump out the window and not die. 

He tried to twist his wings around to stop his momentum before landing. It largely worked, but he still bumped into the wall. Not nearly as hard as his first attempt. So, progress. He inhaled calmly and, with his exhale, let go of the form. He stood and took a moment to stretch his sore muscles. Being a bird really was like being crammed inside a box. He muscles needed a break from it every now and then.

Once his limbs started to feel better he sat on the vanity. As a bird, lifting off required muscle that he didn’t have the time to build. He conversed energy by starting from a high place.

“Volanious.” The word had come to mean hope and freedom. It was the only thing keeping him going. When Suwin lets him breathe again after giving him the water, when his chest hurts and his body wants to give up, it is that word that he thinks to himself. Volanious.

He glided down the small distance again, this time trying to practice a turn. He landed more or less gracefully. He didn’t hit any walls at least. He released the spell and moved to the main room. It was late, he should be asleep. But how could he when death was looming? So instead he looked out the window, into the darkness of the night. He couldn’t see it, but he knew how high up it was. Much higher than the bathroom vanity. His heart hammered in his cheat just thinking about it, about jumping. But he had to. The only thing waiting for him in the castle was a tortuous death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so bit of a mixed bag in this chapter. Probably some of the darkest stuff this story will have to offer, but also giving Callum a way out. It's still going to be another chapter before we see what Rayla is up to, but after that the Rayllum will be strong. Aside from the last chapter (which is just tying up loose ends) I have drafts for every chapter. So in theory I should be able to update faster. In theory. In reality, I bought Satisfactory and that is a a huge time sink. Well, anyway, I promise to update again no later than April 30th.


	5. Survival

Callum laid in bed, staring the the ceiling. His fingers gently glided across his wrists. It didn’t hurt. The bruises had left him entirely and the cuts were faded, to the point where they didn’t stand out from the rest of his minor cuts and scrapes. Suwin noticed too. He had grabbed his wrist and hummed happily at the sight. Callum knew then that he had hours to live. Suwin had gotten every bit of intel he could want out of Callum. The continued interrogations were ‘just for fun’ as he put it. 

He got up from the bed and looked at himself in the mirror, scanning over his bare chest. His wrists bore gentle pink lines that were fading into pale scars. They didn't look out of place from the rest of his scars from traveling. He hadn’t ever really paid that much attention to all the little nicks and bruises, but that night he carefully examined his body. Like how the council would do, looking for signs of foul play. He shuddered and put on a shirt. Callum wasn't sure when Suwin was going to…

Kill him. He forced himself to finish the thought. It could be any moment. A guard could walk into the room at any instant, drag him downstairs, and give him the water until his breath stops forever. They would want to do it at night too. Less people watching, less loose ends. And once a guard had a hold of him, it would be over. He wouldn’t be able to fight or run. At any instant death could walk through the door.

Callum steadied his breathing. Panicking wouldn't help, but he couldn't afford to wait any longer. That night had to be the night. It was going to be his last in the castle no matter what.

There wasn't much in the way of supplies. They didn't give him much to begin with. He found a jar and some strips of cloth he could use for bandages. He fashioned a smaller blanket into a makeshift bag. He managed to stow away some bread. It was that and some spare clothes.

He tied the bag awkwardly around his shoulder. A real bag would have been nice, but they didn't exactly give him camping gear. He approached the window like it was a sleeping banther. It felt like his stomach was doing summersaults. The night was calm. The moon had waxed enough to give some modest light. Enough that roofs below caught the light and reminded him of just how high he was.

It a good thing. More height meant he could glide for farther. And it certainly didn't mean more death for the young prince. Nope, not at all.

“Alright, show time,” he pushed the glass outwards, removing the barrier. Cold mountain air invaded the room. It whipped across his face and filled his lungs. His legs went weak. He wasn't going to die in this castle. At the very least he was going to die a few feet outside the castle. He rested his body on the stone windowsill. The window itself would be hard to fit through normally. But in a smaller body, it would be easy.

“V-volinous,” the word was a broken prayer. His body twisted and bent into the smaller, uncomfortable form. He was an osprey, ready to take his first real flight. Possibly his last. Just like with the bathroom vanity, just jump and float down.

Unlike the bathroom vanity, there was wind. Wind that seared his cheeks as a human but otherwise left him unmoved. In his feathered body, however…

A powerful sideways gust pushed him. He tried to grab hold, to delay what had to be done just another minute. He wasn’t ready for whatever awaited him. But he didn't have fingers. He had wings. Wings that only caught the wind and threw him entirely out the window. All solid support left him and was midair, hundreds of feet up. He expected to drop straight down, as he would do in a human form. But he didn't. Instead, he mostly fell _forwards_.

The wind twirled and spun around in every direction. He lost all sense of east and west but he knew down. He remembered how to tilt his wings to demand the air push him forward instead of down. Down was death and he wanted life. Some part of him felt himself scream but it came out as a prolonged ‘cherp’. Probably, hopefully, lost to the wind so no one would hear his escape.

The orange lights of the city moved past him in a blur. They were slowly growing closer as he lost altitude. Callum wasn't sure if it was good or bad but he wanted the harrowing glide to be over already. And then the lights were gone. Replaced by the darkness of the forests. He dared to look forward to try to place where he was but all he saw was black with glints of reflected blue moonlight.

He was going too fast. He tilted his wings to slow himself but the force was too strong. He felt pine needles quickly passing by his feet- talons- and he knew he had to slow. He could hardly make out the trees and was dipping into the forest. The ground was going to hit him and oh stars this is how he dies.

He was putting everything he had into slowing but he was still going too fast when he hit the ground. Pain shot through him and he could feel parts of him slam to a stop. He yelled in pain and noted, vaguely, it was a human yell.

He rolled and it hurt. He couldn't quite place where it hurt. All over, but he sensed some parts of him we're much worse than others. Foundations of pain from odd body parts, he wasn’t able to tell which in the darkness, hit him. Dull aches and sharp pain, he just felt completely broken.

The next realization was that he was still. His face rested uncomfortably in pine needles which told him that he was most likely not dead. He made it out of the castle alive, he thought with some victory. Only some, because he felt like his body was far too broken to make it to Katolis.

_But now Rayla can-_

No. Rayla was gone. He had to keep reminding himself of that. Regardless of how she use to protect him, regardless of how they use to be, she was gone. It was painful but true. If he waited for her to save him, he would die waiting.

He rolled onto his back and a pained yelp escaped him. He didn't know what was wrong, but the most intense pain radiated for his left leg. He tried to see but couldn't make out details in the dark. He explored the rest of his body. His arm ached and refused to moved much. But he recognized it as being incredibly sore and exhausted muscles. Deep breaths hurt, but that seemed to be the worst of it for his chest. He could at least breathe. His hips, he was happy to note, felt relatively good. His right leg could at least move, though with some pain. He has a foreboding feeling that he wasn't going to be able to walk on his left any time soon.

That was fine, he can just hop a thousand miles across enemy territory and a river of lava. No problem. Which way was Katolis even? The window faced west, towards home. But the wind was so strong he had no idea if that was the direction he glided.

But hey, he was alive. He made it out of the castle alive. Suwin would be sending a guard to take him to his execution and realize that he was gone. A smile crossed his face. He wasn’t exactly _safe_ but for the moment he was safe from Suwin. Maybe it was that thought, or maybe it was the andraline dying down, but he slipped into sleep without even realizing it.

.

When he woke up, it wasn’t in his comfortable room, snuggled in his bed. It was on the forest floor with pine needles poking his neck. Oddly enough, it was a nice change. The first rays of light hit him. He took note of the direction, so he could have a general idea of where to walk. But when he dared to look at his leg, his heart sank and his stomach churned. He wasn't going to walk in any direction anytime soon.

The leg was broken. He fought the urge to gag when he saw the bend. His knee gave his leg a natural bend, but below it was a very unnatural bend. He tried to sit up but his leg screamed in protest. His chest heaved in panic. Staring at the mangled limb, realizing it was his own, made him dry heave. He was injured, unable to move, no one knew where he was. A wandering banther could make an easy meal out of him. Alive.

Or he could simply stay there and die of exposure. That was also an option. There was certainly nothing out there that _didn’t_ want to kill him, and he had no way of doing anything to move or protect himself.

He was gone again. He made a fantasy of him, Rayla, and Ezran living happily in the castle. They would show Rayla all the fun stuff to do. They would go to the banther lodge in winter and play in the snow. Have a snowball fight. Of course Rayla would win but he could get a few hits in. She would chase him and catch him, because of course she would. But she wouldn't hurt him. She would pull him close and he would feel so safe with her.

_If you wanna have the chance to do any of that, you gotta fix up that leg_ , he could imagine her saying. He was alone, of course. Rayla was gone, he had to keep reminding himself. Gone. But the fantasy of her being with him calmed him enough to think rationally.

He didn't want to lay around waiting for death. He needed to fix his leg.

“Alright Rayla, how do I fix my leg?” Of course she didn't answer. She wasn't there. She was gone. He recalled times when she gave him first aid. Clean the wound, wrap it. Even small wounds because infection can set in and that only causes trouble when traveling.

She never talked about splints. They never came up. He had a rough idea though. Set the bone- he fought another wave of nausea at the thought- and tie sticks around it to keep it straight. But Moon and Stars above he did not feel ready to do that.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself into a sitting position. His bag, luckily, landed within arms reached. A few sticks that he thought to be good splinting sticks were within scooting distance. Though he had to bite back a cry as he dragged his leg those few miserable minutes.

Alright, show time. Like fixing a broken table leg, right? He used some clothes for padding and delicately arranged the large sticks around the leg. He lightly felt around the bend. It was too much to stare at so he closed his eyes. Just fixing some broken furniture.

He could feel the bend. The taunt, empty flesh where the bone split. He grabbed the flesh around it and fought back the pain and fear and disgust. He was fixing a broken table. He twisted his body and the movement propagated down to his leg. He felt bone meet bone and heard a crunch. Pain engulfed him and he couldn't see, maybe his eyes were closed he didn't know. His stomach lurched and he couldn't fight the nausea anymore. His stomach was empty but he spilled bile to his side. He laid, whimpering, shaking. There was too much pain to escape to fantasy. So he just fought the waves of suffering.

_Now that wasn't so bad, was it?_ He imagined Rayla to say. She wouldn't, not in that situation. But that was what she said when she was finished treating a cut he got. So he guessed that's just a line his brain had at the ready.

He dared to look at his leg. It looked… better. It was straight at least, and it hurt much less. It was the same length as his good one, he noted with relief. Though it still wasn’t right. Wiggling his good leg he noticed there was a slight twist to his bad one. Not much, but enough to leave him with unease. He did a decent job setting it, just not perfect. But it would have to be good enough for now. He couldn’t, and wouldn’t, try to get it right himself. Not out in the middle of an Xadian forest. With a sigh, Callum tied the splint into place. It hurt to tighten it but it felt much better overall.

Time to put it to the test. He used a stick and a nearby tree to hoist himself upright. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as he feared. Most importantly, he could _move_. Though not fast. It was a slow, ambling hobble with a makeshift crutch. Could he really cross Xadia like that, alone? And without getting caught? It seemed laughably stupid but… What else could he do?

A sudden wave of terror hit him when he heard it. The gentle trickle of water. Nothing more, but suddenly he was back in the dungeon, hearing that gentle trickle of water land on the floor. The water, the drowning, Suwin moving around him. 

Breathe. Just breathe. Suwin was still at the castle and it was just a stream. It would be good to get water. He bit back the fear and headed in the direction of the sound. 

It was a bit more than just a stream, but not quite a river. Watching the dark water churn and flow made him queasy but he reminded himself there was nothing to be afraid of. Suwin wasn’t there to drown him. The stream wasn’t dangerous, so long as he didn’t fall in.

He approached it wearily, but kept his nerve. With some shuffling and pain, he managed to get back to a sitting position and filled the jar with water. He drank in greedy gulps, not realizing just how thirsty he was. He took a moment to watch the water and just be. To exist without Suwin breathing down his neck, without guards pushing him around or Marus watching from the corner. A fish jumped.

Food. He was hungry. He did have some bread. But if he could catch a fish, then he could save the bread for later. And, he thought with a small giggle, feed his inner osprey. 

_Find some decent sized rocks and stack them in the water. You wanna make something like a heart shape, see._ Rayla’s voice floated through his mind. She drew a simple diagram in his sketchbook to help show him. She taught him how to make a rock weir to catch fish weeks ago, when they were near a river teeming with fish. She, of course, didn’t want to go near the water. But she was more than happy to teach him.

“Maybe you can still save me, Rayla,” he muttered to himself, scanning around for some decent rocks. She was gone, but she still taught him so much. More than taught, she supported him, cared for him, comforted him. She was a great friend. A sad, hard laugh left him. She did pretty much everything to get Zym home. It’s no wonder she left when she could, Callum wasn’t terribly useful at anything.

He stacked the rocks, just like she taught, and tried to think positive. It was hard, considering his circumstances. Him actually making it out of Xadia alive was ludacris. But, he couldn’t just give up. It was kind of like when Suwin first asked him about the Katolis armies. It was futile, but he at least needed to give _some_ resistance.

A fish slapped against the rocks in his weir. It was a smaller one, which was probably for the best because he didn’t actually have a knife to clean it. Making due with sharper rocks and sticks made for a hell of a mess.

_No, the tinder needs to be below the bigger stuff._ Rayla’s voice came back to him, teaching him how to make a fire. He had actually gotten proficient at it during their time together. Callum was suddenly grateful that Rayla was willing to teach him so much. It turned out to be, literally, a life saver. Or a death prolonger at least.

With enough fish in his belly, he decided to move. He started to hobble west. But he moved slow and needed to rest often. His broken leg truly crippled him, and even after an hours walk he could still see where he caught the fish.

“This isn’t working,” he groaned to himself. He glared at his splinted leg. It was true, he would struggle to make it back to Katolis if he was able bodied. But like that? It was hopeless.

Part of him hoped, wished, that Rayla would appear. She could protect him, keep him safe, bring him back to Katolis. He could make it with her. But she was gone. He didn’t know where, but she wasn’t coming back. 

Another idea wandered into his head. He couldn’t walk to Katolis, but maybe he could fly. His arms were okay, and he did at least have one good leg to land with. And he could get better practice here. The general slantiness of the mountains would give him plenty of high points to practice with. But if he didn’t land right, he could mess up his leg even more. But hey, what did he have to lose? Worst case, he dies. And he’s on borrowed time anyway. He found a particularly steep part of his downward trek and took a breath.

“Volanious,” he said it louder than he ever dared to before. His crutch stick fell to the side and he stuck having to balance himself on one leg. The forest was so much bigger. The trees lumbered overhead and the steep decline in front of him looked so much bigger. It was awkward to jump off with only one leg, but he was easily able to right himself once airborne. 

Suddenly he was moving much faster. Not as terrifying fast as the night before. It was actually nice. It was an intermediate between the small leaps off the bathroom vanity and the horrible glide through the darkness. It was… Peaceful. The browns and greens of the forests moved by him fast, much faster than by foot but they were still easily distinguishable. A gentle breeze ruffled his feathers and his soul just felt at rest. He flapped his wings to try to gain altitude. His arms were still far too sore to try too hard and the rise was modest. All too soon the ground was threatening to catch him.

It was the tricky part. He twisted his wings to slow and stuck out his good leg. His talon caught the forest floor and he lost all momentum. His balance was thrown and instinctively he shifted to his right. He toppled over into his side, sparing his leg.

He huffed, and willed the spell to break. He was back to his human form and once again laying in pine needles.

The rules of what exactly he got to stay with him when he morphed and what didn’t was unclear. His clothes did, which was really nice. As did his bag, tied around his shoulder. Also very convenient. But it seemed like his makeshift crutch did not. And that made for a painful hopping session to find a new one.

So, clearly flying was best done tactfully. When he can get a lot of air under him, and he would have to try to land near a god crutch. But all in all, it was working. 

He made his way slowly through the forest like that. Gliding when he could, limping when he couldn’t. Night fell and he dined on a piece of bread. Stars shone overhead and he wished Rayla was there with him.

.

He stared from atop his cliff at the offending mass of wood. The cliff was a good size, maybe twenty feet. It would afford him some nice distance as an osprey, if he dared.

The issue was what was just past the cliff. A cabin. And it didn’t look deserted either. While he didn’t see anyone at the moment, it was clearly someone’s home. A clean porch, stacks of firewood, and a shiney axe told him so. If someone found him, even if they didn’t know who he was, it would be trouble. Elves didn’t like humans, and they would probably be hostile. Even if he could scare them away, they would talk. Word would spread fast and make it back to Suwin. Callum knew the only reason he hadn’t been found yet was that Suwin didn’t expect him to get so far so fast. If he heard that a human was sighted, he would send soldiers there instantly. Callum would be found and that would be that.

So he could limp back up a ways and try to give it a wide berth. Fly over it and hope no one notes how weird it is for an osprey to be there. Or…

He could hope that no one was home and loot the house. He needed a proper bag. His makeshift one would come undone regularly, and need constant adjustments. He needed food and tools. A knife, some flint, proper medical supplies. A house that isolated was bound to have all those things. Part of him wanted to fly over it and just forget it. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had been watching the place for an hour now and saw no movement. They must be away, right? He could be in and out, no problem.

Or maybe they are relaxing in their home, and that would be the end of him. He couldn’t fight off anyone in his current state. Or run away. The only thing he could do was magic. He thought threw the few precious spells he learned at the castle. He needed something that would be weird enough to draw anyone out, but not too weird for them to search the area. He settled on a spell.

“ _Ictus_ ,” he didn’t dare say it too loud. A powerful gust blew down from his and over the cabin. A chair was knocked over, shuttered wailed against the wall, and in general noise was made. He hunkered down and waited for movement. Nothing. Show time.

He eyed a decent walking stick near the house, adjusted his makeshift bag, and drew the now very familiar rune.

“Volanious,” he hopped over the ledge and glided around the cabin. He was getting better with turning, he thought to him before landing near the stick. He broke the spell before he entirely lost balance and grabbed the crutch. He quickly scanned his surroundings and saw no one. With a beating heart and trembling hands, he pushed the door open. The stick hitting the wooden floors was loud- too loud- but unavoidable.

The cabin was nice. Cozy. Callum felt bad for taking from these people. But he was far, far too desperate to not. He searched shelves and closets for a bag and found one relatively easily. It was large and hardy. Clearly meant for traveling through rough terrain. Callum dumped his meager belongs into it. He could organize later.

Next he raided the kitchen. All guilt and shame had left him. He got several knives and a variety of food. Jarred and dried stuff mostly. He didn’t want anything that would spoil or attract animals.

With the kitchen raided he quickly, or as quickly as he could anyway, moved deeper into the cabin. He wanted medicine. While his leg was the worst injury from his fall, he did a fair bit of cut and scrapes. Without bandages and salve they were starting to fester. He would to treat them if he wanted to survive the journey back to Katolis. He opened a door, hoping to find some. Instead, what he found made his heart sink.

A little girl, probably six or seven years old, was hugging a stuffed banther in the corner. She was a skywing elf, with pale blue skin, jet black hair, and small horns. She stared at him, unmoving, terrified. 

“Hey there. I’m not going to hurt you.” He said but his mind was racing. She would tell her parents a human was here. Her parents would tell others, and Suwin would have him within a day. There would be water again, and that time it would smother out his breath forever. But if the girl wasn’t able to talk, they wouldn’t assume it was a human. But how to ensure a little girl wouldn’t tell? The only answer that his mind could grasp was with a knife.

He took a calming step towards her and she flinched. It was her or him, really. And he could make it quick for her. It would be long and painful if Suwin found him. But a cut through the neck, that would be fast. Then she would be silent, and never tell. No one would know he was there. He stepped closer to the girl, and tried calm her.

“I’m just passing by. I need to borrow a few things from you.” He was a few feet away and she hadn’t moved. Just staring at him, scared. He grabbed the strap of the bag, thinking of where exactly inside it he put the knife. He stared down at the girl. His heart was beating and he couldn’t think of anything but Suwin and water. Why was her life more valuable than his? He shifted the bag and opened it, looking inside. The knife stared back at him. The girl waited. He had to do it. Ezran needed him. He had to do it for Ezran.

His muscles refused to work. He couldn’t. He simply couldn’t. It was somewhat of a relief to realize. Maybe it would be his death, but the fight was over at least.

“I’m hurt. Would you be willing to give me some medicine? Please?” He begged the little girl. She bobbed her head up and down and scampered off the floor. She moved out the room and led him to another. She walked in front of a cabinet filled with medical supplies. He smiled but wave after wave of guilt flooded him for considering to kill the girl. He decided that her life was distinctly more valuable than his. He wanted to kill her, she wanted to help him. 

“Thank you. This is very nice,” he opened the cabinet and took a few key items. Bandages and healing ointments. He didn’t want to take more than he needed. He wished he had something to give back. He tried to memorize the cabin, the girl. Maybe when he was back in Katolis, he could do something. Maybe send them a crate of lemons, he chuckled to himself.

“Can I ask for you one more favor?” The little girl nodded. “Please don’t tell your parents about me, okay? Or if you do, tell them I was just a normal Skywing elf. Can you do that?” The girl cocked her head to the side. He didn’t know how much she understand. Maybe she didn’t even realize that he was human. She nodded, and he hoped that she understood. That she would keep her word. But how much could he trust her?

“Thank you,” he said genuinely. He hobbled out of the cabin. He looked back and saw the little girl wave at him. He waved back and tried to find another cliff.

He didn’t regret not killing her. In fact he was very, very happy he didn’t. Regardless of Suwin finding him, he didn’t think he could live with himself if he did. But the fact that she did see him was bad news for him. It meant that he needed to move, and fast. Which was hard to do with a broken leg. He hobbled faster.

.

He had bad luck with cliffs that day. He only found two, and they were rather small. Which meant he traveled a relatively small distance. Which caused anxiety to stir in him when he realized he needed to stop for the day. The sun was setting and he couldn’t navigate the forest in the dark. Not with a broken leg anyway. And by the time he admitted that, it was already too late to set up a campfire. Which might have been for the best. Rayla always insisted they go without fire if they were worried about people finding them.

_Yeah, they are warm, but they can also be trouble. Anyone wandering by can see them from far away. And if they are looking for you, you just made their job a lot easier._ She said it with an exasperated sigh a few weeks ago. Callum smiled fondly, thinking that was one of the first nights they, well, cuddled. It brought a blush to his cheeks, to put a word to it. But it was cold in the mountains, and even colder without a fire. He wanted warmth, and he knew she was cold too. They huddled together. It was still cold, but bearable. And being that close to Rayla stirred feelings inside him that he couldn’t place. But he knew that it was very nice.

He found a crevasse in a boulder. It was in stark contrast to all those weeks ago, but it would help to keep him warm. He dug around his new bag and found a few key items. The blanket, previously his makeshift bag, his last loaf of bread from the castle, and one of the larger knives he took. He settled in, eating the bread slowly and wrapping the blanket around himself. The knife was placed carefully within arms reach. Just in case. He needed to be ready to fight.

He wanted to be home. To be safe in his own bed. To with Ezran and Soren and Claudia again. But the only way to get there was slowly, over weeks of travel.

He didn’t sleep, not really. The constant fear of death kept him on edge. He would nod off, hear a small nothing noise, jolt awake and finger the knife. The cycle repeated again and again. Until one time it wasn’t a nothing sound. It was the soft crunch of pine leaves from a foot step. Careful not to make a sound he shifted to peer around the boulder. There was someone there. A moonshadow, judging by the light hair. It made sense. Moonshadows are faster, they would be able to cover more ground searching for him. And one found him.

If they were anything like Rayla, and Callum really hoped they weren’t, he would only have one chance to take them down. The only thing he had was the element of surprise. He shifted to a standing position, again careful to not make a sound. It cost him some pain, but he grinned and beared it. He was still in Skywing territory, which meant this Moonshadow was definitely one of Suwin’s soldiers. 

He held the knife, waiting. One chance. That’s all he got. He heard the person move around the boulder, into striking range, and he took his one chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And whoever could this mysterious Moonshadow elf be, hmmm? Next chapter we check in on Rayla. There's more pining Rayla, along with some Rayllum towards the end. I have this entire story drafted, so at this point updates should come much faster. Which is good, because I have already started to draft up a new story.


	6. Reunion

Rayla couldn't stay in the city, but she couldn't bring herself to go home. Moonshadow elves shunned those who abandoned their duties. Hell, she shunned her parents for abandoning Zym when he was an egg. Though she didn't consider herself abandoning her duties. Rather, her duties just changed. And once she took it as her job to deliver Callum and Zym to Sky Keep City, she took it as seriously as any Moonshadow would.

The others wouldn't see it that way. She had a job, a mark to kill, and he still lived. She failed to kill Ezran, and that was all a Moonshadow elf needed to hear to shune her. She had both her hands, which meant sure could lie. A Moonshadow with missing hands wasn't even given a chance to explain, they were shunned regardless of the story behind the missing limb. But she had both hands, which meant that people would assume she still had her honor. That she made the kill. For a while anyway, until word spread that Ezran lives.

It just didn't seem appealing to her. To live a lie that was doomed to crumble. So instead she wandered Xadia aimlessly. She found herself in a larger Earthblood village, picking up bounties. It was work, and kept her mind busy. Plus, it wasn’t a bad way to let out some extra frustrations. 

“Oh come on, the guy was just asking to get stabbed,” the burly Earthblood complained from behind her. He was tied up thoroughly- she learned that lesson the hard way- and being pulled along with a rope.

“Uh huh. Didn't seem to happy about it afterwards,” it was a bar fight gone wrong. Mister Stabby back there was always a large man and was use to bullying others. When he faced someone that could actually hold his own, he pulled a knife. Things escalated and he tried to skip town. Luckily the brut didn't have any actual combat training and was easy to take out.

“Look, lady, can't you just let me go?” He was decidedly a worse traveling companion than-

No. She wasn't going to think about him anymore. He was going to go back to his life, and she would go back to hers. Or what was left of hers anyway.

“No.” They slogged through the muddy path back to town. The Earthblood village was in a muddy, wet land that seemed to be perpetually overcast. 

“But you and me, together, we could go anywhere and do anything,” his voice dropped and it was a husky, seductive offer. Or at least that was his intent. Rayla was utterly disgusted by the notion- of both terrorizing innocent people and being with the beast of a man- and she gave the rope a hard yank. The man toppled over into the mud and flailed around for a minute before getting back to his feet.

“You're a real bitch, aren't you?”

“Just for you,” she called back. She preferred the insults over the flirting.

“You won't be such an uppity bitch once I shove my dick up your a-” Rayla pulled the rope again, only this time much harder. The brut stumbled forward into the mud, rolling this time. Rayla flicked out a blade and lunged onto his back. Her knee connected roughly with his flesh and her blade dug into the mud, inches from his nose.

“You won't be saying anything after I shove my blade through your chest,” she growled from atop the man. He gave an all too satisfying whimper and Rayla got up. Maybe she was taking her frustrations out on the guy, but it wasn't like he didn't deserve it.

They continued their walk in silence. The man was limping somewhat and Rayla slowed her pace to accommodate. She sighed, staring off into the gray clouds and just generally being miserable. She missed Callum.

.

There were five Sunfire soldiers waiting for her. She was confused as to why they would care about the brut. He was a small fry and they certainly had worse to deal with. But then they spoke.

“You are Rayla, I take it? General Suwin is requesting your presence post haste in Sky Keep City.” She groaned. Probably wanted her on a mission but the emotional wounds were still raw. She didn't want to go back there.

“It is urgent. It's about the prisoner you recently delivered.” For a moment, she was confused. But that moment washed away into cold, hard realization. Callum. They were talking about Callum. He was the prisoner, and she delivered him. She turned him over to bad people and just left him. They told her that he didn't want her around, and she believed them.

“Ma’am, you need to come with us right away,” the lead soldier barked. It snapped her back into reality. She needed to find Callum right away.

“Of course, let's go,” she was out the door and running through the forest towards the mountains. Towards Callum.

“Ma'am, slow down!” She sighed, stopping and looking behind her. Sunfire elves tended to be larger and stronger, but slower.

“What? You said post haste.”

“We need to escort you back,” he grumbled, catching up. The rest of his men weren't far behind. Rayla considered the new information. She kept moving, because she knew in her bones that Callum needed her, but at a pace the others couple keep up with.

So they didn't trust her. It was the only real explanation. Soldiers aren't escorted to report to duty. Suspects and criminals are. Which wasn’t good for her. Whatever they were doing with Callum, it would be easier to stop of they trusted her.

What were they doing? Ransoming him? Torturing him? Killing him? She fought back fear and rage at the thought. She would get to him and she would protect him. That was all she needed to focus on. Getting to Callum, getting him away from Suwin, and getting him back to Katolis.

.

Despite rushing back to the city there was a wait to see Suwin. The lead soldier that escorted her back went in first. Probably to relay information about Rayla. She wait, hiding her impatience, for her to be summoned in. Gears were turning, and she needed to stay sharp. Callum needed her. She had to get to Callum and get him out of the castle.

“Rayla, it’s good to see you again,” the Sunfire general welcomed her back. He was oddly warm, considering his mistrust of her.

“I came as fast as I could.” She was careful not to say too much. She wanted to pull out her swords and scream, demand to know where Callum was. But she she needed to play her cards right. She needed to get whatever information he was willing to give her.

“Yes, I can see. You were bounty hunting north a bit, correct?” The soldiers must of have him this, so why bother asking? She didn’t know what exactly they thought of her, but she couldn’t see what was wrong with picking up bounties.

“Aye. It’s something to do.” Something to do while she cleared her head after getting seperated from Callum.

“Hm. I apologize for the escorts here. But some people doubt your loyalty to Xadia.” The words stung a bit, because the doubt was well placed. She was first and foremost interested in getting Callum safe. But that didn’t mean she didn’t care about Xadia. Callum cared for Xadia, so why couldn’t she care for him? 

“You did say you were friends with the human,” He continued. He looked at her intently. She pressed her lips together, picking her words carefully. Things would be much, much easier if they thought she was on their side.

“Yes. Traveling together we built some familiarity.” He didn’t look entirely convinced. “He said that he wanted to talk to me afterwards. I don’t know about what, but I thought I should, with him being such an important person.” She shrugged and gave her best apathetic look. The general scoffed.

“I doubt it was important.” It was. She should have told him when she had the chance. They should have thought returning Zym out better. Planned more. “Well, I was, hmm, _working_ with him,” she really didn’t like how he said that. “When he escaped. Disappeared from his room in the night” Her heart fluttered. Escaped? Callum busted out of the castle? But how? And also, why exactly? Though she could take a guess on that last question, she really didn’t want to.

“Escaped?” She was legitimately surprised. Callum wasn’t exactly sneaky. Or strong. Or adept at anything that would be useful in an escape.

“Yeah… We are pretty confused. You traveled with him. Does he have any kind of unexpected skills?” A perfect memory, great art skills, a smile that could warm her heart in an instant. And two sky magic spells. Not that she was going to share any of that.

“Not really, he is actually rather bad at fighting and sneaking. I’m surprised he got out.” Her mind was reeling. How? “Do you mind if you could show me his room? Might give me ideas.” She was legitimately trying to piece it together. If he was alone somewhere, unattended… She needed to find him first. That would solve half the battle of getting him away from the council. Then it would just be a matter of smuggling him back to Katolis.

Suwin guided her along the castle. She scanned every detail of the path, looking for clues. She noted that mages were practicing outside a window. They were learning some kind of wind blade spell. Maybe he was able to learn some more spells that way? He did have an amazing memory. He was able to use dark magic after watching Claudia do it just once.

She was mildly surprised to find they put him in a tower. She wandered the room. It felt odd, to know that Callum was there just a few days ago. She scanned the walls and floors, looking for anything. She looked out the window and at the exterior of the tower. It was a huge drop, and the tower had no real purchases to climb. She doubted that she could make it out without her blades. Callum certainly wouldn’t have been able to, especially at night with no visibility. She leaned against a wall, thinking hard.

“Any ideas?” Suwin grumbled. He knew the answer. Rayla was, unfortunately, not hiding any big ideas. 

“None yet.” Callum was smart, he certainly proved it. “And he just disappeared? No noises or missing guards?”

“There was a guard stationed outside his room all night. Another at the base of the stairs. Neither of them reported anything unusual.” _Well good job at the escape Callum. You did such a good job, you got me stumped too_. Hopefully she could figure it out in time. She needed to. She could never forgive herself if he...

“I heard that you got in Rayla. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” a soft, effeminate voice drifted through the room. The councilwoman, Marus, appeared at the doorway. She looked displeased.

“Suwin, can we speak privately for a moment?”

“It’s fine Marus, Rayla didn’t bust him out.” Her breath hitched at the reveal. Of course, that was why he was suspicious. Callum disappeared mysteriously, naturally they would look to his moonshadow assassin friend. 

“Suwin-” Marus’ voice was hard, clearly not happy with Rayla being part of the conversation.

“She was to the north, picking up bounties, alone. As soon the soldiers found her up, she left and didn’t try anything. She’s clearly still loyal to Xadia. I wouldn’t expect anything less from such a committed Moonshadow.” Rayla smiled at Marus, happy to have Suwin defend her. He was completely wrong about her intentions. She absolutely would have tried to bust Callum out and had every intention of helping him going forward. But life was easier with them thinking she was on their side.

Marus clearly didn’t buy it. She left the room and Suwin followed with a sigh. “Keep looking around,” he commanded her. She nodded in agreement, but as soon as the coast was clear crept down the hallway after them. She had a feeling their conversation would be far too useful to _not_ eavesdrop in on.

“The guards said that she waited outside the gates for hours to see him,” it was Marus.

“He told her that he needed to talk to her. And you know how Moonshadow elves are. They can be dedicated.”

“When you sent that guard to tell her Callum dismissed her, she wanted to talk to him personally. And she talked very highly of him in when we debriefed her. She likes him Suwin. It’s obvious.”

“There is no way that she helped him escape. She was miles away from the castle, with people around to confirm that she didn’t do anything weird.” Suwin sounded frustrated, but it was clear that Rayla wasn’t going to win other Marus. Oh well, she could at least milk Suwin for everything she can.

“No, she didn’t help him escape. That’s clear. But that doesn’t mean she won’t try to protect him.” Marus was smart, Rayla thought wryly with a smile. She had her pegged perfectly.

“Fine, fine, I’ll be careful. Right now we need to figure out how he did escape, and where he could be.” There was panic in Suwin’s voice and Rayla had to again wonder just what their plan for Callum was. She found herself proud of Callum for being able to sneak out so effectively.

“It was dark magic. Had to be,” Marus moved the conversation topic, apparently setting aside her concerns about Rayla. Rayla didn’t think it was dark magic. He wouldn’t, and couldn’t, use it. He almost died the last time, he hardly knew any, he didn’t have any supplies for it, and he knew better. Then again, she didn’t have any better theories.

“Couldn’t be. I took everything from him. We even did a strip search,” Suwin proudly stated, but Rayla had to fight off a shudder. The notion of Callum getting strip searched made her want to hit someone. Ideally Suwin. What else did they do?

“Something could have wandered through his window,” Marus said. Rayla could hear her pacing from inside their room.

“That high up? No way.” The tower was pretty tall, much higher than the magical creatures of Xadia would dare to go.

“It’s unlikely, but not impossible. It would explain why he waited so long to escape. He couldn’t do it at first.” Rayla rolled the ideas through her head. He had to have used magic to escape, but probably not dark magic. No, he probably picked up a sky magic spell that let him escape. And of course those two would never guess that Callum could use sky magic without a primal stone. It was unheard of. But what spell? The city was crawling with soldiers and the forest immediately around the city had trackers in it. They were looking hard for him.

“Suwin, why couldn’t you have just listened to me?”

“Your plan was stupid, that’s why.” Rayla listened intently. It was most important to find Callum and get him to safety, but she did want to know what exactly the plan _was_. “You were just going to ask him nicely to surrender?”

“He was a _child_. Ezran is a child. Children are easy to manipulate. If we could have gotten them to adopt elf advisor, groomed Callum some, we could have taken over Katolis without a single soldier.”

“They are children, that’s why they have adults helping them rule. You think they are just going to let a boy rule a kingdom?” Rayla pondered it. It really didn’t explain why Callum felt the need to escape. If they were grooming him, he would have come to trust them.

“Well, they certainly aren’t going to trust us now. If Callum gets back to Katolis and tells what _you_ did to him, this opportunity is dead.”

“He wasn’t going to stick around for long, and I needed information.” Suwin defended himself.

“You did most of it for fun!” Marus snapped, clearly pissed. “Honestly, how much information could a boy have that a general would want? You just wanted to see him suffer.” Rayla heart rate picked up. Part of her wanted to leave, to not know exactly what happened to him. But she stayed. She had to know. She was the one that delivered Callum to these people. Whatever they did to him, was her fault. 

Suwin grunted, seemingly agreeing at the accusation. “Alright, maybe. It was fun to break him down. You should have seen the way he looked at him.” She fought back every instinct to attack. He was admitting to hurting Callum. He was _bragging_ about it. 

“A week of waterboarding would do that,” Marus sighed. Rayla’s stomach dropped. She was waterboarded. All soldiers had to be before getting sent out. She knew she was safe when it happened to her and it was still awful. 

“I also used a fire beetle on him. He was howling for hours,” Suwin chuckled. “He was just so... Innocent and peppy. Well, not so much later in the week.” He sounded so pleased with himself. Rayla gripped her folded blade and made a silent promise. She would kill Suwin. That sadist, that monster. Abusing Callum just for being gentle and sweet. Suddenly she was concerned for his mental health on top of his physical. Would he want Rayla around, after she just handed him over to Suwin? Would he be the same person at all?

She heard enough, and wandered back into the room. She sat down on the bed and noticed her hands were shaking. She loved Callum. And because of her, this happened. He was tortured, abused, and almost killed. Hell, he might be dead, his body rotting in whatever ditch he found himself in. 

Her body felt numb and she almost fell into the despair. She swallowed hard and stood. She had a mission to do. Maybe Callum was alive, and if he was he needed to go back to Katolis right away. She couldn’t stop and give up. Even if it would cost her life, she owed it to him to do whatever she could. Even if it wasn’t her fault, she would still still to the death for him. She needed to fight for the hope that he was alive.

She decided that she saw enough of the room. She moved downstairs, glad to be free of any guard escorting her around. She stayed in the hallway, staring at the practicing mages. That was how he escaped. Had to be. She held her bag to her chest, feeling the sky magic book inside it. She didn’t have the heart to get rid of it. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at it until that point. But now she was hugging it tightly to her chest. He was a sky mage. That was how he escaped. 

They were still practicing their wind blade. Rayla considered asking them what spells they had learned that week. If word got around to Marus that she asked, she might decide that Callum could use sky magic. Maybe. It was unheard of for a human to use primal magic without a stone, but Marus was smart and knew exactly what Rayla was up to.

But that was assuming Marus would find out. Which might takes days, if she ever did. Meanwhile Callum might not have a lot of time. He could in injured or lost. How long could he live, hiding from everyone? And if she could just get to him first, just by a few hours... 

She waited until they took a break. She approached one of the students, keeping an eye out for guards or other onlookers.

“Training can be rough,” Rayla slid by the student mage, trying to sound casual. “I never learned any magic, but they still worked me constantly,” she patted her blades, showing her profession as a Moonshadow assassin. The young Skywing woman lit up immediately.

“Uhg, totally. They have us out here practicing a new spell every day. One day isn’t enough time to practice. They tell us to keep practicing outside of training, but we train from sunup to sundown,” she was happy to complain about training. Rayla was glad. This would be easy.

“Are the spells not too difficult at least?” She tried to probe what spells exactly they have learned without being too obvious about it.

“Some of them are easy, like today’s. But a lot of them are really hard!” Rayla cocked her head, urging her to continue.

“There’s this jumping spelling where you use wind to push yourself up. But it’s really hard to control and it sends you flying in crazy directions.” Rayla tried to imagine how that could be used to escape and drew a blank. Probably not it.

“Is that the worst of it?” Rayla pushed her to list other spells.

“It really hurts to land! And my arms are sore from the morphing spell so it’s hard to catch myself when I practice it.” She got defensive. Rayla honed in on the morphing spell.

 

“Morphing spell? What’s that?” Because if she had to guess…

“That one is actually kinda cool.” She quickly drew a rune and said the word. Instantly Rayla was staring down as a bird. A falcon, to be exact, with two horns sticking out of its head. Her eyes lit up. Bingo. The falcon mage cawed and flapped her wings, throwing up dirt and leaves before returning to elf form. She looked proud. Rayla stared with a wide smile and a twinkle in her eyes that the mage would hopefully write off as enthusiasm 

“That is really cool. So you can fly?” Fly out a window and across a city, much further away than the council would expect Callum to be able to make it.

“I will be able to! It’s hard, you need to build the muscles.” She rubbed her forearms. The sore arm muscles made sense. “But I’m pretty good at gliding!” She beamed. Rayla’s smile grew.

“Shall we continue?” The mage teacher called out, demanding the student return to position. She shot a smile at Rayla and waved bye before returning to her teacher. Rayla did the same and glanced up at the tower Callum was in. The window was west facing, she noted.

.

Trackers were all over the forest outside the city. Rayla was careful to avoid them. Suwin would undoubtedly soon notice she was missing. Marus would immediately realize that she was tracking Callum to save him from them. And once they realized that, they would track her. Hell, that might have been their intention from the start. Regardless, it was very important that no one see Rayla as she moved through the forests.

If Callum could morph and fly, or at least glide, he could cover much more distance. And assuming he went in a generally westward direction, she had a good starting point. So she started seriously looking for a trail miles away, much further than the trackers were looking.

Callum apparently had some fight him in, she was happy to note, but that didn’t make up for not being trained. He would probably leave an easy trail to pick up on and follow. Assuming he was traveling as a human. If he opted to travel more as a bird, well, that would be harder to track. She wished she could have gotten more information about the spell, like its limitations. Apparently flying was hard, and he would need a high spot to glide down from.

It wasn’t much to go on. Particularly for only one person. She had a lot of area to cover and every minute counted. It could be the difference between his life and death. She opted to cover more ground less carefully on hope that he would leave an obvious trail. 

So it wasn’t all luck when she stumbled on a rock weir. Granted, it didn’t have to be from Callum. But it was constructed exactly how she taught him. And it had a wall kicked down to let fish escape, which she also taught him to do if he wasn’t intending to visit it again. There was an extinguished campfire nearby, and the remains of what looked to be crudely cleaned fish. Someone had been there, probably about a day ago. She kicked some interesting remains of the fire. They started it with friction sticks, rather than a sparking stone. Sparking stones were much easier and very common, meaning this people probably didn’t have much in the way of gear. As though they were an escapee.

She could feel her blood racing. Maybe it wasn’t Callum, but all signs were green thus far. If this was him, if she had found his trail, there was hope. He was alive and she picked up the trail first. She scanned the ground, looking for more of the trail. It was hard to find in the pine needles, but she eventually found a trail of disturbed forest floor. She followed it, trying to make sense of the pattern. There was a gentle indent and ruffled needles were a foot landed. But the more prominent part was a hole that came along with every footprint, over a foot away.

A stick, or rather a crutch. He was injured. She frowned and hoped he wasn’t hurt that bad. He was evidently well enough to move. The injury might be a blessing in disguise. It meant he didn’t go far. The sooner she finds him, the better.

The trail led to a small ledge. It stopped there too. Rayla groaned. She couldn’t track him if he was flying. She scanned the surrounding forest. Assuming he could only glide and not fly, he couldn’t have gone far.

After some searching, she found the familiar trail again. Subtle footprint, prominent stick print. She followed it to another cliff. Again she lost the trail, but at least she was getting an idea for how far he could travel. Rinse and repeat, though she thankfully picked up that he would glide to, or at least towards, another steep area when possible. 

.

When the trail led to a house, she knew there was trouble. A pair of Skywing elves, seemingly a couple, were yelling outside their small, isolated cabin. A young girl was playing nearby.

“What would a human being doing this far into Xadia? It had to be her imagination.”

“Someone _was_ in our house. We have missing food and medicine. She knows not to lie with something this serious.” Rayla pressed her lips together and steered clear of the house. Well, now she knew she was definitely on Callum’s trail. He was alive. He was alive and she was going to find him and keep him safe. She would never, _ever_ let him out of her eyesight again. 

.

It was dark. The trail was hard to follow. There was a muddy footprint that indicated the direction, but nothing else to go on. The terrien had leveled out somewhat, and cliffs were harder to find. How far had he gone? Was he still okay? Had another tracker found him? Her heart hammered with a protective instinct. 

She moved through the forest floor silently. Moonlight trickled through the trees, but only in small amounts. She needed to find him. She couldn’t stop for the night. She would go for as long as she needed to find him. Her senses were heightened as she rounded a boulder, scanning the area for any more signs.

A dark mass moved towards her from entirely too close. There was a glint of metal and the whooshing of air. She grabbed hold of the body but not before the blade dug into her arm. Out of instinct she flipped and body and threw it on the ground- hard- to get a look at the assialient. 

It was Callum. He was living, breathing, writhing and yelling in pain. An odd mix of relief and panic filled her. Her entire being screamed to hold him, comfort him, protect him, and she didn’t try to stop herself. Not after seeing her love alive and in need.

“Shh, shh, Callum, it’s me,” she kneeled down, holding him. He was warm and live and despite everything she felt so happy. His eyes cracked open and she could see his green eyes look at her. Recognition flashed in them, but he was still gasping in pain, unable to talk. 

“What’s wrong?” She saw it before he was able to answer. His left leg had a splint on it. She rested a hand on his chest, trying to calm him. “Callm, take a deep breath.” He did, albeit a shaky one. “Stay still for a minute, okay?” He nodded and she shifted to take a look.

She couldn’t see much through his pants, but it wasn’t bent at least.

“I’m going to touch your leg.” She gave him warning before gently resting her hand on the leg. A small whimper escaped him but he didn’t object. She was happy for the trust. She would never want to hurt him intentionally, and hopefully he still knew that. Her fingers moved across the leg lightly, searching for anything out of place. Suddenly he jolted and hissed in pain. The flesh there was twisted slightly, with a small bump. The bone was at least set, though it wasn’t aligned properly. Luckily she didn’t cause too much harm by throwing him, even if it hurt like hell.

“It’s okay, the bone is still set.” She moved her gaze to his face and found herself at a loss for words. He was staring at her with wide eyed, like she was a ghost. She knew that she should apologize, but it fell flat. As though a simple ‘sorry’ could make up for just abandoning him. Everything that happened to him was her fault, and there was no way to make up for it.

“R-rayla…,” His voice was heavy and it cracked. She flinched, thinking he might be close to tears. She sighed, getting ready to try to apologize. Find some combination of words to make things right. Or at least better.

“Callum, I-” He moved up with more power than a man with a broken leg should have. His arms were around her, tight, and he buried his face into her chest. A shaky breath escaped her. He was so happy to see her. Almost as happy as she was to see him. She allowed herself to hug him back, hold him tight. He was breathing and warm and so amazingly alive. She dared to move a hand into his hair because damn the world, she needed it.

“You found me,” it was a hoarse whisper but in the dead of night she heard it easily.

“I should have never left you. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” she apologized, her face was in his hair and she was still just soaking up the fact that he was alive. Alive and happy to see her.

“You’re here now,” he said with a smile. She failed to see how he could be happy with her, but she was still glad nonetheless.

“We need to get you home,” she forced herself to pull away from him. 

“Oh yes, please. I really want to go home now,” he moaned and she smiled. Despite everything Suwin threw at him, he still was just Callum. Rayla wanted to kiss the boy, but instead she settled for another hug. He happily reciprocated it. Her life was once again complete.


	7. Promise

Rayla was surprised to find that Callum actually fell asleep rather quickly. She would have preferred they start move right away. Moon knows how long they had before trackers found them both. But how well could they even travel at night? And, as Rayla inspected sleeping face, he didn't look to have had much restful sleep as of late. She knew she should wake him, but she just couldn't. A few hours of rest would do him good. Make him more alert, help him heal. And she also needed some time to compose herself.

It seemed like any sense of personal space that existed before was gone. Her arms were wrapped securely around his body and she spent the time just appreciating him. That he managed to escape and that she managed to find him. There was hope for him, for her, and for them. Maybe they could have that life together, where he could somehow forgive her for abandoning him and return her love. They could take her back to Katolis and they could be together. But she would need to guard him and protect him first. Actually get him back to Katolis. 

She have woke him. Time was of the essence, and they needed to put as much space between them and Sky Keep City as possible. But he had dark rings under his eyes and she knew he couldn’t have been sleeping well. He spent a week getting tortured and two nights in the woods being hunted. So she let him sleep. Just for a few hours, just until dawn. 

They were still hugging when the world started to lighten. She bumped her body into his. He groaned, but didn’t open his eyes. He often needed extra effort to wake up if there was little sleep the night before. It was common, Rayla supposed, for those without military training. She smiled at getting to do this again, falling into the same routine.

“Callum, we need to get up,” her voice was harder than she wanted it to be. She still wanted nothing more than to protect the injured boy, but that meant pushing him a little. “We don't want Suwin's soldiers to-” she didn't need to finish the sentence. Callum jolted awake at the mention of the general. She was suddenly reminded of what happened to him, why he felt so desperate to escape. An unfamiliar feeling crept over her. Blood lust. She wanted to kill Suwin. She ground her teeth and chewed down the feeling. It would have to wait. Callum’s safety was more important.

“Yeah. We need to keep moving,” he was hobbling into a standing position, an apparently well practiced struggle. His face was contorted in pain as he jostled the broken leg. Rayla let that happen to him. She abandoned him, just like her parents abandoned Zym.

“Let me help,” she grabbed his chest and helped lift him into a standing position. He looked mildly annoyed and she worried that she over stepped a line. Maybe the affection from the previous night was a temporary thing. Maybe he hated her for abandoning him. 

“Sorry?” It was a question. She didn’t know exactly what line she stepped over.

“No, it’s not…” he sighed, she waited for him to explain. “Things would just be a lot easier without my leg like this,” he glared down at his splinted leg.

“True. But you’re alive,” she said it with a bit more warmth than she intended. He didn’t look much happier though.

“Yeah, for now.” Rayla bristled at the challenge.

“And for a long time. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Her stance was firm and she meant every word. With her promise, he did actually look relieved. She bent down to scoop his few loose items into his bag, feeling better about the entire situation. 

“Rayla, I'm sorry,” he sounded terribly guilty and a little shocked. She looked up, confused. What the hell was he talking about? She was ready to give him an earful, thinking he was going on about being an imposition. His eyes were locked onto her forearm.

“Sorry for what, you dope?” She touched where he was looking. Mild pain radiated out and she took a look.

“Last night, I hurt you.” She looked, it was a minor cut. Drew some blood, but she had gotten worse while training.

“That's nothing,” she snorted. He still looked racked with guilt and was blathering out apologies. She thought about it more.

It really wasn't nothing. In terms of injuries, yeah, it was nothing. But Callum, the sad prince who couldn't fight a dummy, landed a hit on a Moonshadow assassin while he had a broken leg. And she was on guard too. As minor as it may be, it screamed potential. Not to mention being the first human to forge an arcanum and managing a grand escape from the castle. As hopeless as he might seem on the surface, he had great potential. What kind of man would he be in ten years? She wanted to stick around and find out. 

“Rayla, I'm really sorry. I didn't think it was you. It was dark and-”

“Just shut it already. It's nothing. A wee scratch. We need to move.” Despite her words, neither moved. There was a conversation to be had first.

“So…” she waved her hand, trying to find the words. Callum just stared, as though waiting for instructions. Oh, just like the good old days of two weeks ago. “You can fly?” His eyes lit up.

“Yeah! Well, no. But I can do this!” He cast a spell and just like the young mage in the castle, he was suddenly a lot smaller and feathered. He stared up at her with golden eyes in a moment. But he was standing on one leg and soon toppled over. Rayla couldn't help the laugh.

He protested. She didn't know if he intended to say words, but all she heard was a low, pitiful chirp. When she looked back he was still looking at her and still laying on his side. Her laughter continued.

There was the sound of flapping wings and he righted himself. He was still wobbly, with his injured leg tucked into his body. Rayla kneeled, staring at the man she fell hopelessly in love with, who was now a bird.

“I can work with this.” She picked him up, to which he flapped and chirped a bit. Possibly angrily, she wasn't use to reading birds. She was happy to note that he was light, lighter than Zym even. Probably only a couple pounds. Things just got a lot better. 

She decided not to waste anymore of their lead. She threw her bag, and his bag, over her back and picked up the bird of a boy. Carrying everything, and being sure to move gently, she wasn't at her top speed. But still was still much faster than with the able bodied princes. And so much faster than Callum could move in human form.

But it was only after a few miles, probably no more than twenty minutes, that the osprey in her arms squirmed and chirped uncomfortably. If she was getting any better at reading birds, that meant Callum was unhappy about something or another.

With a flutter of brown and white he was gliding away at a pretty decent speed. Until he went to land, which was more of a crash, and the next moment he was human again.

“What was that about?” She trotted up next to him. He wasn’t yelling in pain or anything, so it couldn’t be that urgent. He was however, shifting and stretching his limbs uncomfortably.

“It’s hard to keep that form for too long.” He hissed as he waggled his fingers. “It gets really uncomfortable.” Rayla considered it. Twenty minutes wasn’t that long.

“And is that the longest you can be like that?” She asked, frustrated. Spells had catches, she knew that. Of course it couldn’t be _that_ easy.

“...Yeah. It was actually bothering me for a while. Kinda just… broke on its own and I saw it coming.” He looked downtrodden but Rayla couldn’t muster the positivism to comfort him. Well, damn. If that was his limit, it would be hard to stay ahead of the trackers.

His downtrodden look might have been more of a pained look. He was gently rubbing his injured leg. His face was locked in a grimace. He was pretty bad at being stoic, but that break was serious. She felt a little bit better putting some distance between them and the rather easy to follow trail Callum left. Good enough to broach that topic.

She plopped down next to him. He turned and smiled that stupid smile like everything was fine in the world. She wanted to hug him, but felt that the hug fest from last night had ended.

“What are you planning to do about that?” She nodded towards the leg he was babying. His face sunk.

“Well, my plans thus far have been to do whatever to prevent immediate death. So, I haven’t really thought it through.” His face was pulled tight in a frown. He apparently had an idea that his leg was a big problem. Despite the situation, he chuckled. “Honestly, I wasn’t even really expecting to get home alive. I was… trying to live another day I guess.” His face showed the pain and struggle and all the horrible lines of thinking you get when staring down likely death. She wrapped an arm around him and he leaned into the embrace.

“But you’re here now.” His eyes lit up with hope and glee. She felt guilty for leaving him but damn if she couldn’t stop the warmth at that level of trust and hope he had in her. “And you are kinda the expert here.”

“Better than you anyway.” She hummed thoughtfully at the situation. “Can I see it?” She asked. He adjusted his chest back, giving her room to look at it. “Er, properly. Without the pants covering it.” He blushed and she rolled her eyes.

“You don’t want to be pulling down your pants over it,” she chose to block out any and all thoughts that accompanied the idea. “It’ll move it around too much. You gotta cut off the pant leg.” She flicked out one of her blades. He balked and she glared.

“Or we can cut off the entire leg in a week, when infection takes it.” Modesty and fashion sense be damned, that was a real injury that needed to be tended to.

“Better than taking off my pants I guess,” he mumbled and she again chose to ignore all implications. Instead she took the blade to his pant legs. They were not his original clothes. Instead he was wearing traditional Skywing noblemen clothes. Green with clasps cutting across the front of the top and both top and bottom relatively tight fitting. He looked nice in traditional elven garb. If she had much say about his future attire, he would be wearing more of it. Rayla took care to cut the thick fabric without cutting into delicate flesh. 

She was getting the splint disassembled when Callum spoke up again. 

“I, um… Got some medical supplies in my bag.” The way he said made it seem like there was a story there and Rayla thought back to the couple whose cabin got robbed. Callum was a good person and didn’t enjoy stealing, even in dire situations. Rayla had no doubt that he probably didn’t enjoy looting some innocent elves. So she chose not to say anything when she dug through his bag and found some tinctures and ointments.

It wasn’t pretty. It was bruised heavily and swollen. And the slight twist of his leg was more obvious without any clothes to cover it. It meant that bone didn’t met in quite the right place, even though it did met. There was a tear in the flesh with caked blood, which luckily didn’t have exposed bone. Callum groaned uncomfortably and looked away. Rayla certainly didn’t enjoy the view, but a better stomach for such things. He was alive, that was the important thing.

“I’m guessing this happened when you escaped the castle?” The trail implied that the crutch started right away. And that would be a good time to break a leg.

“Yeah. Landing was a bit tricky.”

“I bet.” She considered the options. “The bone is misrotated,” she stated bluntly.

“I’m guessing you are talking about the twist.” He looked like he was sucking a lemon and Rayla couldn’t blame him.

“Yeah. That’s not good. The bone is healing, and it will heal with the twist if it isn’t fixed.”

“I’ve heard,” Callum was still not to happy about the topic. “So, are you going to reset it,” he made a face like he might throw up at the thought. “Because when I did it the first time, well, it wasn’t fun.” Rayla believed him. She again had to think about how the prince went through too much already. It was supposed to be a peace mission for fuck’s sake. He was utterly undefended. She bit her lip, not happy about her next words.

“I don’t think I can do that Callum,” he looked at her almost pleased, like he got off the hook. He really was just a kid, wasn’t he? “That’s not a good thing. If we don’t get you to a proper doctor soon, your leg might never heal right. No more running or even walking right for the rest of your life.” She tried to make him appreciate the gravity of the situation but maybe it worked too much.

Now he was just laying down, staring at the sky, looking like those aforementioned eaten lemons turned to rats in his stomach. He was a teenager and was facing life as a cripple. Assuming he could get out of Xadia alive at all. Some treacherous part of Rayla reminded her that his broken leg was ultimately her fault.

“Maybe. Or maybe they could fix it in Katolis,” She tried to rally his spirits, but it clearly wasn’t working. She bit her lip, trying to think of a solution.

They needed a doctor. The nearest human doctor was a thousand miles away in Katolis. And finding an elf doctor willing to treat him would be hard. They could try to slulth around and find a doctor willing to work on humans. But Rayla was certainly being hunted now too, and could they really find a doctor before Suwin caught wind of where they were?

They could take a more forceful approach and use threats of violence. Which would be unideal and distinctly not very nice. Ethics aside, a doctor could take the moment to hurt or kill Callum. Which they might, considering he was a human. And even if not, they would immediately tell and reveal their exact position to Suwin. Pretty much any way to get Callum treated right away was simply too risky.

“I guess that isn’t too bad. I mean, a few days ago I was certain I was going to die, so… this is a step up,” he still looked sullen and Rayla wished she could do more. She considered trying to set it herself, but she just imaged blindly rubbing the bones together and causing more pain and damage. 

“Maybe we can figure something out later,” she tried again in vain to cheer him up. He offered a weak smile and showed he at least appreciated the effort. 

“Maybe I can try jumping off of you to glide. We could move faster that way, and I can practice flying. It might just be how I move around from now on.” Why couldn’t she just let him carry on in blissful ignorance? But no, she had to stomp on his miraculously high spirit. 

“Come on now, worst care you have a bit of a limp. Aren’t mages suppose to have staffs anyway?” She took stock of the medicine they had. He had a good range, and she had a bit in her bag as well. She cleaned the wound with some clean water and bandages. He winced but didn’t complain.

“Viren has a bum leg and he is the archmage,” he mused while she applied salve.

“See? It’s perfect. But no more dark magic,” she didn’t know exactly who this Viren was, but if he was a human mage, he probably did dark magic.

“Oh yeah, I learned my less- ah.” He winced as she wrapped a bandage around his cut.

“Damn straight,” she tied the bandage off and put the splint back on. She helped him up and shared a smile. “Ready to move again?”

“Yeah, think so.” He gave his muscle one final stretch. A wave of his hands with a murmur of his lips, and he once again was a bird. Kinda cute one, Rayla supposed. Pretty eyes at least, though she prefered his green, human ones. The wide golden ones just screamed ‘dumb bird’ to her. She picked him up and with a whoosh he was away, gliding and flapping a bit. He wasn’t very good at gaining elevation, but they were a fair bit faster this way. When carrying him she was careful not to move too fast and to keep his leg steady. But with him gliding she was able to move faster as well. He would do an awkward crashing landing, opting to fall on his side rather than hurt his leg. She would pick him up and the cycle repeated until he returned to human form for a break.

“Do you think you could go a few minutes without dying? I could use some food,” She asked while he was again stretching his human limbs. He probably could use some food too. Between building flying muscles and healing, he needed the nutrition.

“I went this far without dying, didn't I?”

“Aye, by luck mostly,” she said and he gave his familiar pout. “I hear a river that way,” she nodded to her right. “Might be able to get some fish.” She offered with a casual tone. While Rayla had normally been the one to hunt and forage for them, she didn’t catch fish. It was just never worth it for her to go near water. When Callum wanted fish, she taught him how to do it himself. But he was hurt, and needed the food. For him, she was willing to go fishing.

“Yeah. I would like that,” he seemed to understand the significance of the offer. His eyes were soft and smoldering and she had to again fight the urge to hug him, kiss him, tell him how terribly sorry she was.

“I’ll be back soon,” she turned to leave, but heard Callum quickly shift around.

“Wait, Rayla, don’t go,” his voice had a tinge of panic to it. She stopped and immediately turned to him. She was expecting an explanation, but he seemed to struggle to give one.

“Don’t leave me. Please?” He looked so… scared. He was leaning against a tree. His leg was broken, he was deep in enemy territory, and hunted. He had horrible things already happen to him, a taste of the bitterness to come if he was again caught. Rayla was his only chance of survival, his only friend. His lifeline. 

_And she left him. She left him like her parents left Zym when he was an egg._

“Alright, you can come along too, if you want.” She stared at him, watching the relief wash over him. She considered how to move him. “I suppose you want some rest still?” He needed some time to ‘stretch his muscle’ in between morphs. She didn’t understand what exactly that meant, but she accepted it.

“Uh…,” he looked guilty. His fingers brushed the thigh of his injured leg. He didn’t want to slow her down, but he didn’t have a choice. Rayla understood that he felt like a burden at times. She considered them complimentary, but they never dove too far into the topic.

She decided to spare him the physical pain of morphing again or the emotional pain of saying he couldn’t.

“It’s alright, I got you.” She moved to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. Tentatively, he put an arm around her shoulder. Together, they walked towards the river.

She wanted to say so much. She could hear his heart thumping away in his chest. She still relished in the sound, in the proof that he was alive. She wanted to tell him he was perfect just how he was. He wasn’t a burden, he was her strength. He was sweet and kind, even to those he had no business being nice to. And she was even willing to admit that he could be funny at times. Mostly, she loved him.

She didn’t say any of that. Instead they wordlessly moved to the river. Her stomach churned at the sight. Countless gallons of water rushed by. It was bigger than she would have wanted, but it would certainly have fish. She tried to bite down the fear on her gut. _For Callum_ , she told herself.

Callum whimpered by her side. She froze and looked to him. His face was pale and his eyes locked on the water.

“What, don’t tell me you are afraid of the water too now?” The words left her mouth before she could properly analyze the situation. She immediately regretted it.

“Suwin would drown me,” the words spilled from his lips and her guilt flared up all over again. “I… I just don’t want any more water.” His voice sounded so broken, so tired. She pulled him tighter to her side.

“I won’t let him or anyone else ever hurt you again. I promise.” She led him to a tree to lean against. 

“Thank you,” it was all too serious. The words filled with too much pain. Her fault. She moved towards the river. She freed a blade and watched the water carefully. For Callum, she reminded herself when the sound of running water filled her ears. For Callum.

She dropped the bags down by Callum and slowly walked towards the foul water. She stared at the currents, in a spot that wasn’t too deep. She waited, still, blade ready until-

It was a trout, and a good size. She took it away from the river to clean it. She didn’t want to be near the water for longer than need be. When she turned to return to Callum her heart clenched.

It seemed that when she dropped her bag, some stuff fell out. Including a certain book. A certain book with a certain note inside it and she wasn’t really ready for him to read. Not there, not at a time like that.

“What are you doing?” She was in front of him within moments. Her hand rested firmly on the cover of the book, preventing him from opening it. Had he already?

“The bag spilled open a bit and I, uh, I saw it and thought that…,” He fumbled, clearly unnerved. She glared and he shrunk down. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have.” And he did look so terribly sorry. Rayla felt bad, she was more scared than mad. 

“Don’t do it again.” She put the book carefully into her bag and threw the bag out of arm’s length. She stared at him, trying to gauge if he read it. He didn’t meet her stare, instead he looked away, squirming uncomfortably at the situation. She wasn’t sure if he was just responding to her outburst or if he read it and didn’t feel the same way. She pressed her lips together, thinking. She didn’t think she could continue on the journey not knowing which it was.

“Did you, uh, read it?” Her anger was entirely gone. It was just guarded fear in her voice. He seemed confused, and that was answer enough for her.

“What? I read the title, if that is what you mean. But I didn’t even open it.” His innocent tone convinced her. Callum was an awful liar. “I saw that it was about Sky Magic, and it’s not like you can do it, so I just… thought it was for me? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.” Well, he wasn’t wrong.

“It can be a present for you, once we get you back home.” Her attention returned to the trout, forgotten to the side. “Let’s get lunch cooking.” She went to get wood. Callum didn’t say anything and she had to kick herself once again. She really ought to be nicer to him, but he _was_ digging through her stuff, which wasn’t very nice of him to start with.

After the fish was cooked enough, Callum dug in. He eagerly ate it, and she knew it was worth it. He was injured and needed the nutrients. Plus, she wouldn’t be surprised if they weren’t feeding him enough in the castle. Prisoners generally weren’t. She found some berries and edible roots for herself.

“Eat some of the roots,” she eventually broke the silence. “They’re good for healing.” He needed the protein in the fish, but the roots also had good nutrients.

“Sure that there will be enough for you?” He was worried about her. It was stupid, but part of her liked how he worried. She leaned into him.

“If it isn’t, I can always find more.” Rayla was perfectly capable for caring for herself, and that included foraging for herself. Callum returned her affection and wrapped an arm around her. Butterflies were suddenly in her stomach but it all felt so right. She fought a content sigh.

“Hey, Rayla?” He asked. She rested a chin on his shoulder. He couldn’t be okay with that kind of affection if he didn’t like her, right?

“What?”

“Can you...uh, forget it,” he muttered. He was going to say something important, and she wouldn’t let him back out of it.

“No, you can’t just say ‘nevermind’ now. You gotta say it,” she chided him. There was a long pause. She was going to cut in again when-

“I was certain that I was going to die, and that you weren’t going to come save me. I was scared and even though I know a little bit of magic it wasn’t enough, not really and- look,” he was rambling again, but cut himself off. “Can you… Not leave again?” He was playing with the bottom of his shirt. His new shirt, because his old one, and all his other belongs, were abandoned in the castle. Because she left him.

“Callum, I already made that promise to myself. You will not be leaving my sight again. At least not while you are in Xadia.” He looked somewhat comforted, but not entirely. She lightly pressed against him. “What?” Because her answer was clearly not entirely satisfactory to him.

“What ‘what’?” She rolled her eyes. 

“You still look like you ate something bad. There’s something else, I know it.” He scrunched his nose. Did he really not realize how easy he was to read?

“What about… After I leave Xadia?” He asked. The question was heavy on her mind too. But this wasn’t the time or place for romantic proposals. Was it? She briefly considered confessing to him. Dispatching with the doubts, and just enjoying each other fully.

“I… I could follow you into Katolis too. If you want.” The words were hard to get out. She swallowed hard. When she dared to look at him again, she was smiling widely. Her heart, once again, melted at the sight.

“I would like that. I know that Ezran would too. But, uh, can you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Provided she wouldn’t be killed by humans. But with Ezran and Callum’s blessing, she should be safe. Right? That Corvus fellow didn’t seem interested in hurting her at least.

“I mean, will they let you? You are a soldier for Xadia, and the Xadian council is hunting me. Isn’t this, uh, treason? Or something.” As eloquent as it was, he had a point. She _was_ pardoned, but that was before she tried to save Callum. Save him _from_ the council of Xadia. She was, once again, betraying Xadia.

No. She never betrayed Xadia. She only ever fought _for_ Xadia. From returning Zym to keeping the human princes safe, it was all for the best. War wouldn’t help Xadia. War would poison Xadia. She was helping prevent war.

But apparently the council didn’t see it that way. The council wanted war. Maybe, hopefully, Zym wouldn’t. But Zym was a baby. The council did, and they had the power. Maybe the queen wanted war too. Rayla couldn’t trust any of the rulers of Xadia to be working in the best interest of Xadia. Callum and Ezran, on the other hand, she knew better. They understood that war was bad. They understood dark magic was bad. And they they would fight for what is best for both Katolis and Xadia, human and elf. She could trust them.

“Rayla?” Callum eventually asked. He sounded weary and the his eyes matched.

“I guess you’re right.” She said, still lost in thought. He stiffened.

“You’re not going to… turn me in, are you?” She turned to him sharply. He looked legitimately concerned and she fought back the urge to slap him.

“No! You dummy. Of course not.” He looked happy with the answer, insults included. But that did leave the question of what she _was_ going to do. She probably wouldn’t be allowed back into Xadia afterwards. At least not for a time. And she wouldn’t trust the leadership even if so. The idea seemed obvious, though bold.

“I think I might have to leave Xadia.” The realization was bitter. “I don’t think they would want me back, after I get you home.”

“Oh. Well, you can stay in Katolis for as long as you want.” It was his turn to try to comfort her. She smiled weakly, but really didn’t like the idea of being cut off from Xadia. 

“At least there’s that.” At least she would have Callum and Ezran. “Think that would work? I wouldn’t get killed for being an elf?” Or for being part of the team that killed King Harrow. She chose not to bring that part up.

“No! Not with Ezran as king. And I can follow you around, make sure no one gives you trouble.” His green eyes shimmered. It should too much like a proposal to date . She had to smile.

“I think I could tolerate that,” she thought through the implications, how it would work. “I guess I would be working for you and Ez then.” Callum looked confused.

“I’m a soldier. I’m not going to stop just because I move.” She liked Ezran, and loved Callum, but she needed the action and discipline. 

“I guess. If you want,” he shrugged. She was training for as long as she could remember. She couldn’t just stop, but he apparently didn’t get that. She would be a soldier for Katolis. For as long as Ezran or Callum ruled. Or they were peaceful with Xadia anyway.

It really put things in a new light. She loved Xadia, but with the current rulers, she would have to fight for Xadia from the outside. Outside, meaning Katolis. As in, under the rule of the young prince in front of her. Her friend, hopefully future lover, and leader.

She moved away from Callum, standing in front of him.

“Rayla-” He started. She didn’t give the him chance. She dropped to one knee and sunk a blade into the ground.

“I hereby swear to fight for the Prince Callum and King Ezran. To defend Katolis and to fight for peace in the land. I give my heart to Xadia, but my blade to Katolis.” She said the words as she stared at the ground. She couldn’t fight for Xadia, not when Xadia was sending her to kill children. She would fight for Xadia, but maybe that had to be from Katolis.

“Rayla, what are you-” Callum started to say, but again, she didn’t let him finish.

“I’m swearing an oath. I can’t go back to Xadia. To the council. Not if they want you dead. And you and Ezran will do good. So, let me fight for you.” It all made perfect sense. It was the only real answer.

“Rayla, I…” He never finished the sentence but rested a hand on her shoulder. “Alright, you can fight for us. But I don’t know how to say ‘yes’ while sounding all formal like that. But, yes.” She had to crack a smile and fight off the urge to kiss him. 

“Alright, it’s settled then.” She stood, breaking the moment. “I’ll follow you back to Katolis. And stay there.” She stopped talking at that point. But there was certainly more to her plan.

“I would like that,” he smiled at her and once again, her heart melted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, another update. I update every Thursday, in case anyone missed that. Not too much action, but a lot of talking. Hopefully you all like that. I've had a few people ask about why all the elves in leadership are bad, and if we are going to meet any good elves. Yes, there are good elves in power, we will meet them. This isn't a spoiler, just stuff that I couldn't gracefully explain fully.
> 
> Xadia is ruled by the dragon monarchy (currently Zym's mom). She leaves a lot of the decisions to the elf council, but that's just because she is a dragon and has better things to do. The council is comprised of elves with different expertise, but they also make it a point to have each race of elf represented as well. When Zym was returned, the Dragon Queen was delighted and she commanded that they treat Callum like a guest. She also commanded that elves ensure he gets home safely when he wants to. The safe return of a prince begets the safe return of a prince. Most elves respected this, though some didn't like it. This was the Earthblood was earnestly talking about trade deals and the chef was concerned about making him good meals. Suwin is knowingly defying the Dragon Queen. He has a small group of soldiers that he managed to get that side with him. He was making damn sure that only people on his side interacted with Callum because if Callum's treatment got out, his head would roll. Which is why, from Callum's perspective, all the elves were bad.
> 
> I've also had a few comments about Ezran. We'll get an entire chapter dedicated to him and what is happening into Katolis. We'll also see him in the end when he reunites with Callum. And I don't think that is a real spoiler because I have 'happy ending' in the tags. Of course a happy ending is going to involve him making it home.


	8. Treatment

They were moving again. He was an osprey, gliding ahead of her. He lacked the horns that typically signified a morphed Skywing elf, which added to the overall ‘dumb bird’ look. Rayla slowed to a trot, staring at him a bit more carefully. An idea started to form. One that fell into the ‘just crazy enough it might work’ column. Callum chirped from where he landed, apparently confused as to why she stopped.

“Hey, Callum, if you had to, how long could you stay like that?” The osprey shimmered briefly, only for an instant, while the spell broke and Callum returned to human form.

“Not long. Maybe half an hour?” He stared at her, waiting to hear to her idea. 

“You know, you look just like a regular dumb bird.” He didn’t look pleased.

“Thanks?” It looked like he was trying to find a clever comeback but Rayla didn’t give him the time.

“Skywing elves keep their horns when they change, that’s how people know they are really elves. But you don’t have any. Nobody would think you are an elf or human. Just a bird.” He still looked a bit confused.

“There’s a village not too far, big enough to have a veterinary. They might be able to fix your leg.” she finally added. It was still a risk, but an acceptable one. Callum’s eyes were shining with hope and Rayla beamed. 

“Think that would work?” He asked with careful optimism. Rayla shrugged.

“Maybe.”

.

Rayla opted to have her cloak on. She was welcome in the town, but Marus was undoubtedly searching frantically for her. If they didn’t have soldiers in the town already, they would soon enough, asking around about any Moonshadow elves that passed by.

“Excuse me, do you know of anyone who can help a hurt bird,” she asked one of the first locals she bumped into. She was holding said hurt bird to her chest. Callum, as an osprey, looked between them a little too thoughtfully. _Be just be a stupid bird, damnit_.

“Oh, is the poor thing hurt?” The local Skywing reached out to the bird. “Funny looking bird you got there. It's not native, that's for sure. But oh, I suppose you aren't either,” he laughed idly. Rayla struggled to remain polite.

“Yeah, neither of us are from around here. Now, if you don't mind, he's in pain so if you could just-”

“Oh, but of course, I'm so sorry,” she would rather he save the breath apologizing and just tell her already. “Hm, well Helsgot treats hurt animals. Not sure if he knows much about this little guy though,” the elf took the liberty to scratch Callum's head, to which he let out a few chirps. She didn't know if they were good chirps or bad chirps but he wasn't thrashing around so it probably wasn't anything that bad.

“So, where is he?” Rayla was about to lose her patience and she would rather not cause a scene.

“Oh, North a bit. Follow that road, turn right when you get to Lug's bar. It'll be on your left,” he looked like he wanted to keep talking, possibly offer to walk her there. She didn't give him the chance. She mumbled thanks and went on her way. She followed the road keeping an eye out for a bar, possibly with ‘Lug’ in the name. Callum was staring up at her will an all too intelligent stare.

“How are you doing? Not going to gain an extra hundred pounds are you?” She asked him when they were in an empty stretch of the town. The question was still barely a whisper.

He chirped once and she took that as a 'good’. 

She hoped that 'Lug's bar’ was actually called ‘The Pinewood Saloon’ because that was the only bar she could find and turned there. If it wasn't, it still turned out okay because she eventually found a building with a sign saying ‘will treat injured and sick pets’. It was on her right, she noted with frustration.

She entered and a gentle, older Skywing man appeared.

“Welcome, welcome. Is something the matter with your friend there?” His eyes trailed down to Callum's bird form in her arms. Anxiety set on her and she hoped that it would work.

“Yeah, he hurt his leg. Think it's broken.” He chirped, as though to agree, which he shouldn't have. Birds don't understand and it was just a little thing that went against his ‘dumb bird’ disguise.

“Oh, I see. Bring him here. Is he pretty docile?” He asked as he guided her to a back room. He patted a table and she carefully deposited Callum there. She gave him a hard stare, so as to say _don't blow this_.

“Yeah. He's really friendly.”

The doctor leaned towards him and he plopped down on his side, kicking his injured leg out for inspection. Rayla wondered for the first time how treatments on his bird body would translate to human form. Hopefully well.

“Oh yes, that doesn't look right. Mind holding him while I take a closer look?” Rayla and Callum exchanged looks. Tentatively, she grabbed his body. Her hold wasn't tight, there wasn't a need and she wanted to give Callum mobility if he needed it.

The doctor grabbed the injured leg. His touch was careful but Callum still started to chirp. A series of _cheep cheep cheep_ that didn't end and clearly conveyed some displeasure. Maybe pain, maybe fear, Rayla couldn't say.

“Come on now, just hold on. Just for a minute,” she decided it wouldn't be too weird to calm a pet bird. Callum looked at her but didn't stop.

“Oh yes, there is a break here. How old is this injury?”

“Erm, a few days. Two?” She looked at Callum, as though he could give a better answer. He nodded yes and Rayla squeezed his body. _Stupid birds don’t nod yes_. “Can you set it?”

“It would be tricky to do, but I can try. Get a firm hold of him, this’ll hurt.” Rayla did so, and the doctor locked his hands onto the leg with much more force, trying move bones into place.

Things happened fast after that. Callum yelled in pain, and that was probably the first thing Rayla noticed. The human, utterly non-bird like yell. The mass of feathers in her hands was gone, instantly, and it was just clothes and skin under her finger tips. She vaguely registered the doctor’s ‘ _what the fuck_ ’ and part of her just sighed. It wasn’t that bad of a plan, she thought. But apparently it is hard to stay morphed while in pain. She wished Callum could have given a heads up about it, but maybe he didn't know himself.

The doctor was in the corner of the room, babbling about if that was a human and how was it possible. Callum was taking up most of the table, whimpering and hissing in pain, lost to the world. And Rayla had to make some split second decisions. 

“Callum, you need to be quiet,” she took the liberty of touching him. Hugging him, rubbing his face. Hearing him get lost to the pain made some odd force build up in her fast. One that needed to be satiated by touching and holding and calming.

Once again, she found herself staring into his green eyes, out of focus and lost to the world. He shushed into a series of whimpers and the pain seemed to be dying down. Which brought her to the next order of the business.

The doctor was trying to slip out of the room. She couldn’t have that.

“And where do you think you are going?” She freed a blade in the hopes that he would be more compliant that way. He did freeze and back away from the door.

“I-I’m just a vet, I don’t want trouble.” She did feel bad for roping him into this. But it wasn’t like she was planning on hurting the guy. Just… threatening him a bit.

“Fix his leg and we’ll be on our way,” she demanded. He didn’t move, but his eyes flickered to the door. She circled around and moved in between him and the exit. She pushed a blade to his face and growled.

“Fix his leg right fucking now,” she snapped and even Callum flinched. The doctor scrambled towards him and they exchanged weary stares. Apparently neither of them were certain the other wouldn’t kill them. The doctor returned his hands onto Callum’s legs and Callum stiffened. Rayla took the moment to grab a wad of cloth bandages and offered them to Callum to bite on.

“Sorry, but you can’t be yelling like that. It’ll attract attention,” she cooed with some distress, looking into his worried eyes. She wanted to assure him that she was there and wasn’t going to leave him ever again. Come hell or high water, she would protect him.

“Why are you helping him?” The older Skywing asked. He looked over the boy, clearly scared.

“Don’t ask questions,” Rayla didn’t want to bother. Callum apparently thought otherwise.

“We aren’t bad people. I promise,” the young prince tried to plead with the doctor. Rayla groaned. She did not expect the Skywing to understand, or even try to understand. “I’m Callum. The step prince of Katolis. I came here to the Dragon Prince.” The vet’s eyes flickered with recognition. 

Word spread fast that Azymondias, the Dragon Prince, was returned. Rayla didn’t bother to correct anyone, but there were different ideas of how he was returned. There were far fetched theories of Zym rising from the dead and flying home. But the most common one was that a Moonshadow assassin, sent to avenge Thunder, killed the king of Katolis, kidnapped a human prince, secured the Zym, and returned to Katolis. There were a few whispers of the human prince helping return Zym, but those people were mocked for thinking such a ludicrous thought. 

“He’s telling the truth,” Rayla added cautiously. She didn’t expect the conversation to be fruitful, but she might as well back Callum up. The vet didn’t say anything and she rolled her eyes. “Now, fix his leg.” Ultimately, it didn’t matter what he thought. She was the one with the blade to his throat.

“Why would a human do that?” He adjusted himself and focused on the leg. Finally.

“We want peace,” Callum was all too happy to chime in. Rayla watched the doctor closely.

“But _why_?” He asked as he undid the splint. Callum was quiet for a long moment.

“Back home, I use to think that elves drank blood. That they were these awful monsters that just wanted to kill." The doctor stared at him with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"I don't think you're helping anything, Callum," Rayla chided, but Callum raised his hands.

"But then I met Rayla and came here. You guys aren't like that at all. You're just people. Just like how humans are just people. We make up these stories about each other to make them seem like monsters, but it's not true." The doctor looked at him curiously. Callum continued.

"I just want to live a good life with my family. I want everyone to be able to live their lives without worrying about war or attacks or…," he was fumbling for words, trying to convey his message. Eventually the doctor spoke up.

"Maybe that's true." He didn't sound wholly convinced, but he did seem moved. "Human or elf, you are just a hurt kid. Far from home too. I'll treat you. I hope I'm not going to regret it." Callum beamed at him. A smile crept across Rayla's face too. He wasn't always eloquent, but he did have a good heart.

"But could you please put your knives away," the doctor pleaded with Rayla. She did so, but not without a friendly reminder.

"No funny business. I can have them out again faster than you can blink." Because she still didn't entirely trust the doctor.

"Rayla, now you aren't helping," Callum scolded her, but she knew better than to be so trusting.

“This is broken,” the doctor grumbled at Callum’s leg after undoing the splint.

“Really? We were putting the splint on it just for fun.” Rayla shot back. She had moved to stand by Callum’s chest but her eyes didn’t leave the doctor. “Can you fix it?”

“Maybe. I need to get a better feel.” He moved across the room and dug through a cabinet. He found a vial of brown liquid and brought it back to Callum. With a rag, he begun wiping the broken area down.

“Ow ow ow, that’s hurts,” the doctor’s touch was light but Callum’ leg was still swollen and angry. 

“Not for long. This should numb the area. It’ll still hurt, but less.”

“Better than the first time you did this,” Rayla added and Callum shuddered. The doctor poked the area and Callum didn’t flinch.

“Feel anything?” He asked.

“No, nothing. That’s… really weird,” Callum watched as the doctor felt around his leg. He looked mystified as to lack the of feeling.

“You’ll feel some pressure, but try not to move.” The doctor begun handling the leg in earnest. Callum stiffened, apparently feeling some discomfort. A disgusted grew look on his face and he turned away. Instead he looked at Rayla, still with a deeply uneasy look on his face. 

“If you’re going to hurl, do it that way,” she pointed to his other side and he stuck his tongue out.

 

“Do it in the trash,” the doctor interjected, and moved a waste bin to Callum’s side.

“Now I feel like I’m going to throw up for sure,” he got cut off by some particularly painful handling. He didn’t move his leg, but his face did strunch up.

“I think I can reset it. This will hurt though.” Both Rayla and Callum stiffened. “You might want to bite on those bandages now.” He added. Callum fumbled to find them and awkwardly popped them in his mouth. That jitteriness in Rayla was going too much and she wrapped her arms around him. He greedily leaned into her hug, taking deep breaths.

“I’ll do it on the count of three.” The doctor added and the pair braced themselves. “One…”

There was a sickening _crunch_ and muffled screams as Callum arched his back up. Rayla held him tighter as he twisted around in pain. She expected that. Runaan had pulled that trick on her and she had pulled it on others in turn. She chose not to warn Callum, as that would defeat the entire purpose.

His green eyes were empty, he was lost to the pain. It hurt to watch but eventually he came back. The doctor had been moving around the room, gathering supplies for a cast. When the pain had evidently died down, Callum let his muscle relax and he spit the bandages into the trash. His breaths were in short pants and Rayla tried to think of something witty to say.

“I didn’t throw up,” Callum eventually said with some pride.

“Look at you and your stomach of steel,” she poked his belly and he giggled. She smiled at apparently having already found one of his ticklish spots. If he was ticklish, she would definitely be using that to her advantage in the future. She fought the urge to plant a kiss on his forehead.

When the doctor finished with the leg he opted to treat miscellaneous cuts around his body. Rayla stared at the wall. She only took occasional glances at the doctor-patient pair. At Callum topless, because the nicks in his flesh weren't limited to his face and hands. She knew she was blushing but it was a hopeless cause to fight.

"I didn't think you'd be so bashful Rayla," the damn boy teased. She was thankful that Callum could be so dense at times.

"I don't need any of that from you. You didn't even want to sleep in front of me at first." She recalled thinking that he didn't trust her, when in reality he 'felt weird about sleeping so close to a girl'.

“Quiet down lovebirds,” the vet grumbled. Rayla cast a look at him and saw Callum’s exposed chest with a few grazes, his flat stomach and gentle pink skin that was probably warm and soft and-

She looked away. A new wave of warmth flooded into her cheeks. 

“Ah, we’re not- uh, you know. Like that,” Callum corrected him. The boy was flustered but the doctor just chuckled. Was she that obvious? Was Callum really that dense? Her eyes moved down to her bag. The book was still in it. Maybe she should give it to him. 

“I’m sure,” the doctor hummed and Callum shifted uncomfortably. Rayla dared to give him a longer stare. His arms had begun to gain some definition, probably from all the flying, but other than that he was scrawny. She wondered what spots she could find to make him giggle and what spots could make him melt into her hands. Would he find spots on her body to the do same? Would he want to find them? Would they ever get back to Katolis to find out? Or was she wasting the precious little time she had left with him?

“Keep those bandages on for at least a few days. And that-,” the doctor pointed to the new cast on Callum’s leg. “Needs to to stay on for weeks. Don’t take it off until you get home.” He gave Callum a new shirt, who finally covered himself.

“But after that, it’ll be fine, right?” Callum asked. The doctor paused and Rayla felt the tension in the room. The doctor sighed and took a seat by Callum.

“Maybe, after a long time.” Callum’s face dropped and Rayla felt that familiar jittery feeling. The need to do something to make it better. “The bone will heal in a couple months, then you can start to walk on it. The muscles will be weak, and they’ll need some months too. It’ll be hard work. It’ll hurt. It might take years to get back to normal. Maybe you’ll always have a limp.” The doctor finished his talk with sad, gentle eyes. Rayla moved to Callum and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, if you can forge a connection with the sky arcanum, you can get your leg back to one hundred percent,” Rayla was confident in him. He was amazing, and had so much potential. A wee broken leg wouldn't hold him down. She would make sure of it. Callum smiled up at her, seemingly agreeing with her optimism.

“Sky arcanum? So that really was a morphing spell?” The doctor asked, eying the pair intently. “I thought it moon magic, an illusion. But how?” For as amazing of a feat as it was, Callum only shrugged.

“I’m not really sure. I spent a while thinking about it, trying to understand the arcanum. And eventually, it just all clicked.”

“Yeah, after you just about died.” Rayla interjected. She wasn’t sure exactly what role the near death experience played in the whole thing. But the memories were stilled burned into her mind.

“Okay, true. But I had some pretty weird dreams while I was out. They were what made everything clear.”

“So, after meditation and a near death experience, you connected with the sky arcanum?” The doctor asked carefully.

“Yeah, that’s about it.” Callum confirmed, checking out his new cast. The doctor hummed thoughtfully.

“That would be very interesting if true,” the doctor started but stopped after seeing both Rayla and Callum want to interrupt. “And I’ll take you word for it. Please don’t make a storm inside of my office.” Rayla smirked at the concession but Callum looked disappointed. Probably at the missed chance to show off.

“Humans were driven out of Xadia because they turned to dark magic. We’ve been fighting ever since. If humans could do primal magic, it would fix the problem.” The doctor elaborated while cleaning up. “You should probably find a better curriculum than ‘thinking about it for a while’ and ‘almost dying’ though.” Rayla had to agree. The meditation on Phoe Phoe was kinda cute, but the almost dying thing wasn’t okay.

“I wonder if I could work with Claudia to figure it out,” Callum mused and Rayla snorted. She didn’t like Claudia, for multiple reasons. She would rather Callum not work with her. 

“The dark mage that betrayed you? That Claudia?” Rayla asked with a cocked eyebrow. The doctor moved towards her and stared at her arm. It successfully derailed the conversation.

“Seems like you are hurt too,” he murmured and Rayla rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I did that. I didn’t mean to but I didn’t know it was her and-” Callum was, again, babbling off apologies and excuses.

“Your mate has some fight. He might just make it,” The doctor chuckled at Rayla’s blush but Callum didn’t pick up on it. Apparently ‘mate’ meant ‘friends’ in Katolis and Callum was always forgetting it meant ‘lovers’ in Xadia. 

“He’s not- my arm’s fine,” she decided it was probably best not to get into the exact nature of her relationship with Callum.

“Let me treat it. It won’t do either of you any good if it gets infected.” Rayla sighed.

“Fine, if you really want to.” She grumbled, but she was thankful for everything he was doing. She adjusted her sleeve to expose the cut and the doctor went about cleaning it up. Callum stood, wobbling a bit and using the table for balance to make his way to Rayla. He looked pitiful and a touch silly.

“It’s not too deep, is it?” Guilt was still pouring out of his voice. Rayla felt that he would _never_ forgive himself for what was a very minor injury. 

“Not too much, but I still want to do stitches,” the doctor said and Callum balked. “I normally wouldn’t, but with you guys running around and hiding it would be safest. The longer the cut is open, the more risk of infection.

“Rayla, I’m sp sorry, I-”

“You defended yourself from someone who might have wanted you dead. You did good Callum,” she glared and he finally shut up. “How did you even do it anyway?” He appeared out of nowhere, right beside her. No sound, no warning. Just woosh, Callum stabbing her. It was simply impressive.

“Um, with a knife?”

“You snuck up on me. With a broken leg too. How?” He shifted uncomfortably, as though she was accusing him of wrong. In reality, she was deeply curious how clumsy, ‘hurt himself fighting a dummy’ Callum pulled one over on her.

“Oh, uh. Well I wasn’t really sleeping too well. I heard you jump down from a tree and I knew it was something big and close. I got a glance of you hair and knew it was a Moonshadow elf…” he scrunched his nose, apparently trying to recall his exact line of reasoning. 

“I didn’t think it was _you_ , but I thought maybe it was someone trained like you. Well, you can hear really good, so I knew I had to be completely quiet. And I couldn’t move much, otherwise you would see the movement. You like to keep close to walls so I figured you were going to be really close to the boulder I was hiding by. And if I got in position and waited, you would walk right by me. So if I got in position without you noticing, I should have at least once chance to take you down” He listed off his various ideas. Rayla pressed her lips together, and evidently he took that to mean she was mad.

“Not you, you! I didn’t know it was you. I thought it was- Look, I’m sorry. I thought that they had other Moonshadow assassin after me and-” She held up her hands.

“It’s impressive Callum. That’s all.” He accepted her words and stayed quiet, though he still looked incredibly sorry. Callum was smart. That wasn’t news to Rayla. More than just smart, he thinks well on his feet. He might not have a fighter’s spirit, but he apparently can defend himself. “Why didn’t you use a spell?” It was his natural role, a mage. He enjoyed using magic at any chance. He used it to escape. 

“You would have seen the light.” He shrugged. “Even if I could hide it, you would have heard the words.” He was right. If he tried for a spell, he would have immediately given himself away. If it wasn’t her that found him, he would have died if he did so.

“It is impressive,” the doctor spoke up. “Moonshadow assassins are elite warriors. You shouldn’t have been able to land a hit in your condition.” 

“I only grazed her. She mostly moved out the way. And then she threw me. So I didn’t exactly win the fight.” It was true. If Rayla had been after him, she could have finished him, easily. The cut that he did give her was minor, and wouldn’t pose an issue during a mission. But that wasn’t really the point. Rayla stayed silent, instead mulling over his words.

Callum was _smart_. She always knew that, but he was battle smart too. He thought on his feet, could analyze his opponent's weakness and strength, and adjust his moves to counter them. And he could do all that in the heat of battle, with just moments to think. He said that he was a terrible fighter, and before returning Zym she would agree. 

But he probably just wasn’t motivated. He wasn’t a fighter at heart. Runaan explained it to her when she was young, and it became an obvious fact of the world. Some people were fighters. They enjoyed battle. Be it sparring matches to test their skills against a friend, or a real battle with life and death consequences. Rayla had a flame instead her that drove her to compete, fight, and defeat. Runaan had that same flame. 

Tinker did not. It would be rare to see him spare against Runaan, but the few times they did, Tinker was just like Callum. Slow and disinterested. Unwilling to attack and ignored every opening to do so. Tinker never cared to defend himself that much either. He knew that worst case would be a disappointed kiss on the neck from Runaan. 

But a lack of motivation didn’t translate to being incapable. Callum could be a powerful warrior, if he had to be. And while in Xadia, he might have to be.

“You can stay her for now, but I’m not going to put you two up. I want you gone by tomorrow morning. I advise you sneak out at night.” The doctor handed Callum a pair of proper crutches while talking.

“That’s fair. We need to keep moving anyway.” Rayla agreed but Callum didn’t look happy about leaving the newfound friend. Well, he really was more of a hostage doctor.

“I work on animals, not mages, but you should probably stay in human form.” The doctor added. “That’s what I’ve heard anyway. Morphing with a broken leg can cause issues with healing.” Rayla scowled but didn’t have much choice except to accept it. If he wanted to be able to run again anyway.

“But other magic should be fine, right?” Callum asked carefully.

“Well, normally I’d say no and tell you to take it easy,” he waved his hand around in the air. “But that isn’t really an option for you. So do what you need to so no one kills you. But try to do it with only mild exertion. Now, I’m going home. I expect you to never see either of you again.” He didn’t even give them a chance to thank him. He was out the door and probably out of the building.

Rayla felt he was trustworthy. But she never liked to take chances. She turned to Callum, who seemed to cheer up with the medical attention. 

“We should go.” He instantly deflated with her words.

“What? Why? It’s not even dark yet,” Callum griped.

“Soldier could search this town at any moment.” She didn’t want to directly accuse the doctor of betraying them. But it was a possibility. 

“What if people see me?”

“I still have the cloak,” she pulled it out of her bag and threw it at him. Her eyes locked onto the book and her pulse quickened. 

“Rayla, can’t we rest. Just for tonight?” His green eyes landed on her lavender ones and damn the world, she was a sucker for them.

“Alright, fine. But if we get dragged back to the city, it’ll be on you.” He smiled and she slinked out of the room to explore the rest of the building. It was relatively small and she didn’t expect to find much amenities. So she was pleasantly surprised to find a small cot in a back room with some cages. For overnight observations, she guessed. The room had a small window, which would give them an idea about the time of day without allowing other people to look in.

Callum entered the room. She could hear his clunky, awkward steps from anywhere in the building. 

“Looks like you even get a place to nap,” she joked but he just groaned. “Hey, it’s better than out in the woods,” she added with a hard stare.

“Oh, I know. It’s just my leg is still hurting.” He eased himself down on the cot and frowned. Rayla cocked her head at him.

“Once we get you back home, you can loaf in bed and have everything brought to you. Until then, you’re going to have to deal with it.” Complaining about injuries was a bit of a taboo in Moonshadow society. Rayla quickly picked up that it isn’t the case with humans, but she was still getting use to it.

“Well, at least I can rest a bit before we move again,” he mumbled, seemingly already falling asleep. Rayla snorted, but didn’t hide the smile. Things were looking up, even if just a bit.


	9. The Truth

Night had fallen, but the evening was still young. The town was still too lively for them to sneak out. Though Rayla was relieved to see that the doctor didn't seem to have a change of heart and turn them in. She found herself nodding off despite herself. It wasn't safe, but she had been awake for too long. 

A soft whimper drifted along the still night air. Her eyes shot open and she was at the ready. He was still sleeping in the cot, but not peacefully. He twisted and moaned, trying to escape some nightmare. Rayla shook him, trying to wake him. She would protect him from all monsters, real or imagined.

"Wake up Callum," she whispered and his eyes fluttered open. After a moment the tension melted off his face, but he was clearly still haunted.

"Do we need to go?" He mumbled and curled deeper into the blankets.

"No, not yet," she shook her head. He sighed and relaxed, but his breathing was too fast. He was trying to calm himself rather than go back to sleep. "You looked to be having a bad dream." She sheepishly admitted. It wasn't the first time she woke him from a nightmare. But that time was different. That time she doubted he was being chased by a banther. That nightmare, like his fear of water and broken leg, was her fault. Her fault for abandoning him like her parents abandoned Zym.

He just groaned in response and buried his face into his pillow. Rayla rested a hand on his back.

"You don't have to worry about a thing with me around," she jabbed her free thumb into her chest in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I know." His words were a dry, factual statement but the confidence all invigorated her. He grabbed one of her hands and held it to his chest. "Just don't leave me again." He muttered the last words. Sleep was again taking him. Her heart quickened and broke all at once. She fucked up. She abandoned him once already. But he was still trusting her. He still... well, if that wasn't love she didn't know what was.

"Aye. Never again." But he was already asleep with her hand still against his chest. She leaned down and rested her head against his side. She got comfortable enough to doze off with her hand still in place.

.

"Callum, wake up. We need to go now." Hours had passed. The moon had risen even higher and the town was dead silent.

Callum groaned even louder. He was being disrupted from a peaceful sleep and was not happy about it.

"Callum." Her tone was sharp. She didn't have much patience for people who refused to get up when they had to. His broken leg didn't curry enough pity to change that. He knew that tune and awkwardly adjusted himself into a sitting position. The cast was good, it provided more support and protection than the splint ever could. But it was bulky and Callum was clearly not use to it.

"I'm up," he grumbled, though his eyes were still closed. Rayla briefly allowed herself to imagine a time where she wasn't constantly forcing him up at odd times. When they could just sleep side by side and not worry about impending death.

"Good. Now _get_ up." He groaned, but did. She handed him his crutches and cloak while she opted to carry both bags. They ambled through the dark hallway of the empty clinic. Rayla left a generous amount of money behind. The medical care wasn’t entirely voluntary, but he did a good job and didn’t tell anyone. At least not yet. She ushered Callum out of the building and into the empty, dark streets.

The mountain air was cold and crisp. But it was at least gentle with the heavier winds being blocked by trees and buildings. Rayla was nervous. She scanned the streets again and again. Callum was just a dark figure hobbling slowly through the town. The cloak prevented anyone from seeing his human features through the darkness. And, as Rayla understood it, Skywing elves didn’t have as good of night vision as Moonshadows.

It all seemed too easy as they made their way into the forest. Callum looked groggy and ready to go back to sleep. But they needed more distance between themselves and the town. Rayla didn’t want to be too easily found if soldiers came through. Speaking of which…

She moved behind Callum. When he shot her a confused stare, she explained. “Keep walking. I’ll just be covering your trail.” She adjusted the pine needles on the ground, hiding most of the tracks. There was still a small difference from the undisturbed forest floor, but it was slight. It would be hard to follow and harder to find. 

“Can we go back to sleep now?” Callum groaned. 

“No, not yet. We’ve hardly gone a hundred yards.” Damn the Stars he was slow. The doctor said not to morph, not unless it was an emergency. And as unsettled as she was, it didn’t constitute an emergency. Callum groaned in protest, but kept walking. Well, hobbling anyway. She started to notice his tired expression give way to a pained one. His leg was just reset a few hours ago, and it was undoubtedly still hurting him. The moon had traveled a decent ways across the night sky since she woke him. They probably only had a few hours of night left.

“Alright, we can take a rest. Is your leg bothering you?”

“Yes,” he groaned. Not exactly a stoic prince, but he was hanging in there at least.

“Come on sad prince, Let’s relax by that cliff,” she guided him to a nearby cliff face. It wasn’t much, but it provide some protection.

“Any chance we can get a fire going?” He sounded legitimately hopeful.

“None.” If they could put several days’ distance between them and Sky Keep City, she would consider it. But not then. It was just too risky.

“It’s cold,” he continued his whining as he settled down by the cliff face. Rayla sat by him, close enough that their arms touched. It was an invitation. She still felt weird about initiating contact, but found that Callum was usually more than happy. He leaned into her and she found her cheek pressed against his hair. She blushed, but enjoyed the contact all the same.

“There might be something useful in that book,” he brought it up tentatively. She stiffened. “You know, maybe something to help us move faster. Like a flying bison or something?” He was trying to lighten the mood and it admittedly got a chuckle out of her. She didn’t say anything though. He was completely right. There might be something in that book to help with transportation that doesn't involve twisting his body around in a bird form. There was absolutely no good reason she could think of to say no. 

“Rayla?” His was voice was still careful. He had apparently not forgotten the last time he tried to look at it.

“Callum.” She knew she needed to give a real answer but nothing was coming to her. She couldn’t think of a reason to say no, but she couldn’t just show it to him. That couldn’t be how it came out. She wasn’t ready, they were trying to avoid capture. It just wasn’t the right time.

Though one thought she couldn’t shake. What if they didn’t avoid capture. What if they got separated again, never to see each other? She recoiled at the thought, but tonight might be her last night with him. She really shouldn’t be taking any time with him for granted.

She dug through her bag and found what she was looking for. Cold and hard, it burned her fingers. Her heart beat in her ears and her hands were shaking. She held it to her chest for a long moment. She was going to tell him the night before they returned Zym. But she didn’t, and then they got seperated. Life was fickle, and theirs’ in particular was erratic. She couldn’t keep putting it off. She wouldn’t.

She pressed it into his chest. Harder than she should of, judging by the ‘oof’ he left out. He took it and she couldn’t help it. She immediately found his hand and clasped it in his her. Her hand was shaky and even a little bit sweaty. How did Callum have that kind of power over her? Not even looking death in the face got that kind of reaction from her.

He shifted and opened the book. He opened it to the beginning pages, including the page with her note. He was silent for entirely too long and surely he doesn’t feel the same because he would have said something by then.

“I appreciate it, really,” he started and her heart fell into her gut and she wanted to just lay on her side and die. “But I can’t read any of this in the dark.” She threw her head back, hitting it hard against the cliff face. Of course, human eyes could hardly see anything in the dark. He couldn’t read a single word of it!

“But thanks! I don’t know why, but you are being super weird about this book.” She groaned.

“You’ll understand in the morning you dummy,” tension flooded out of her, but her gut was still twisted in a knot. 

Callum dozed off rather fast. Rayla, on the other hand, did not sleep at all. She eyed the book for the rest of the night. Callum was a pretty heavy sleeper. She could probably take it and throw it in a river, never to be seen again. 

She didn’t do that. But she did really, really want to. Instead, she watched him sleep and tried not to over analyze his past actions. She also had to fight back worrisome thoughts on whether he would reciprocate her feelings.

It was shortly after sunrise that his eyes fluttered open. They locked onto hers, after a groggy moment.

“Have you just been staring at me all night?” he rubbed an eye and Rayla jerked away.

“No! I just so happened to be looking behind you,” she had been staring at him pretty much all night. Him, the book, or at her hands. It was a tense night for her.

He grabbed the book and she reminded herself that, if she really wanted to, she could forcefully take it and throw it in that river. It was, at least, still an option. 

“Why have you been so weird about this book?” He held the book carefully, as though it might be dangerous. It was to her.

_Because it has a love letter in it that puts me in way too vulnerable of a position. By the way, I love you_. That is what part of her wanted to say. Instead, she found herself the one fumbling for words.

“It was a gift I got for you in sky Keep City. I didn’t realize what was happening then and I thought it would be a good time to. I mean, we spent a lot of time together. Well, not that much, but-”

“Okay, now I’m worried. Are you sure you’re the real Rayla?” He teased and she punched his arm, maybe a bit too hard. She had a lot of nervous energy. Too much.

“Urg, I’m going to go scout. You get reading,” she didn’t even give him the chance to say anything back. She jumped up into the trees and moved away. At least out of sight. Throwing the book in the river was no longer an option, but maybe she could throw _herself_ in the river. The cold rushing waters would be better than rejection.

She didn’t throw herself in a river. But she wasn’t particularly proud of what she did next. She slunk around the forest with complete silence and hid herself behind some rocks just a few feet away from the boy. He was utterly clueless about his new stalker. She peaked at him from above the boulder. 

He looked uncomfortable. He didn’t like being alone. He made it obvious with his body language, the way he squirmed and looked around.

“Rayla?” He called and she winced. She smothered the guilt pooling inside her. After a moment his attention focused on the book. He looked at it, front and back, evidently needing to take in every exterior detail before he put her out of her misery. She fought the urge to throw a rock at him.

Then he opened it. He quickly flipped few the first few pages, including _the letter_. Luckily he seemed to pick up there was a hand written portion and fumbled with the pages to go back. Why did she have to fall in love with such an ungraceful dork?

He stilled as he read the note. He even seemed to hold his breath for it. Color drained from his face and he spent entirely too long reading it. Rayla gritted her teeth, trying to determine what he was thinking. His face flooded with red blood. That was good, right? Or was it bad?

His head thud against the cliff behind him. “Oh…,” he mumbled to himself. That didn’t sound good. Of course he didn’t like her. Why would she think he did? He was a human prince, she was just escorting him. She helped kill his dad, of course he wouldn’t like her. 

A smile ghosted across his lips. Smiles were good? If he didn’t like her, the letter would be bad news. It would mean an awkward trip back. The smile grew into a large grin and that _had_ to mean he liked her, right? It couldn’t mean anything else?

“Rayla! Rayla, where did you go?” He started yelling way too loudly. They weren’t that far from the city, and he was using her name damn it!

She slunk off the boulder, landing right beside him. He apparently really had no idea she was there, because he yelped and startled.

“Quiet you! Do you want all of Xadia to know where we are,” she hissed at him, but her previous fears weren’t entirely forgotten. She glared, waiting for him to continue.

“Sorry,” he grumbled meekly but wasn’t put off from talking. “I never thought of it before, but I love you Rayla. I like spending time with you and everytime you touch me my heart does this flutter thing, and, uh,” he stalled in his rambling. He put a hand behind his neck and looked away, blushing. “And I think you are very pretty too.” He ended it with a quiet voice and looked entirely out of sorts.

The part of her that was a dedicated soldier was still frustrated and demanded to scout the area in case anyone heard. But most of her was focused on his words. He loved her back and she was indeed being silly about the entire thing.

Callum wrapped his arms around her in a hug, but she was still too focused on calming herself to find words. She gently brought her arms around him and he continued to babble on about things that proved he was both mushy and a dummy. They had hugged plenty before but it had always been laced with doubt. That was the first hug as _lovers_. Her uncertainty and doubt melted away and she pressed his body closer to hers. She took the liberty to really feel him. The hair on the nap of his neck, the warmth of his body pressed against her, his breath running past her neck. 

Soft lips found their way to her cheek, just briefly. Callum had fallen silent, his hands were stiff and rested on her hips. The poor lad was clearly terrified. Even more so than when they first met and she was about to kill him. 

She pulled him away from her briefly, just far enough and long enough to crash her lips into his. She pressed him against the cliff face that they had called home for the last few hours. His breath sputtered but she didn’t care. She had waited entirely too long for it. She pulled back and looked at his face. Wide eyes, flushed, and an expression that looked like he had enough butterflies in his stomach to start throwing them up. 

“You’re lucky I don’t love you for your smoothness,” she teased, remarking at just how awkward he was. It made a wide grin break out across his face.

“I still can’t believe… Why do you love me anyway?” He seemed legitimately perplexed by the idea. She had to wonder if he really thought that that lowly of himself.

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re a brave prince who is on an epic journey for peace, to break the cycle of war and revenge. The first human mage to connect with a primal source. And you can be funny. Sometimes.” She begrudging admitted the last part. She didn’t want to encourage any awful jokes.

“I knew it! You like my jokes,” of course he honed in on that.

“Oh shut it,” she demanded. She didn’t leave him the choice though, as she grabbed him by the scarf and pulled him in for another kiss.

“You’re also forgiving,” she said softly, continuing her list of reasons. She couldn’t look at him. She didn’t deserve his forgiveness, but he never even showed her anger. He looked genuinely confused.

“What would I be mad at you for?”

“For leaving you,” she said softly. Rayla looked down. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Callum’s hands were on her arms and his voice had a certain panic to it.

“Hey, you didn’t leave me. We got seperated. And you found me again. Without you I would have died. Like, a thousand times over too,” he bit his lip and tried to force a smile.

“It’s my job to keep you from dying. But I left. And because I did,” her eyes flitted from his face to his leg. “You were tortured. You had to save yourself, and you broke a leg doing it.” It was her fault. It was all her fault even if he didn’t realize it. The weak smile on his face fell and it was replaced with a thousand yard stare.

“Suwin waterboarded you. He beat and starved you. He-”

“Please stop talking Rayla,” his request came out as a whimpering breath. She instantly stopped. Of course he didn’t want to think about it. She was just opening wounds and hurting him more. Really, why did he even like her? They were quiet for a long moment. But when she dared to look at his face, the faint smile had returned.

“You know, I thought of you. When all that stuff was happening. I, uh. I guess I liked to imagine being somewhere else. I imagined being with you a lot. I had this stupid like idea of us at the Banther lodge in winter, playing in the snow. Or just, remembering our time together. It helped to keep me together.” His arms around her tightened and he pulled her tighter. He was warm and soft, his pulse fluttered under her touched. She didn’t know what to make of his words.

“And even when I got out of the castle, you are the one who taught me how to get fish, or make a fire. And then you found me. You’ve done so much for me. You still do so much more. And I kinda just limp alongside you,” He smiled in ernst and she returned it. She couldn’t forgive herself, but his words made her feel so much better.

.

All love letters dealt with, Callum was greedily consuming the book. His brow furrowed as he flipped through pages.

“So you finding anything good?” Rayla asked, mildly frustrated. Not at him, just the situation. They needed more distance, and distance was hard to get with a bum leg. Which made being stationary very agitating to Rayla.

“Erm, I think so…” It was entirely unconvincing.

“I need a yes or no. Put the book away and start walking, or tell me there is something in there.” He bit his lip, nervous.

“I… Look, this is very technical. I can’t even follow the actual spells. But there’s a section talking about the background and practices to connect to the arcanum,” he jabbed at the pages eagerly.

“So, you aren’t going to be able to use any of it?” The answer was yes, but he refused to say it. He just flipped through the pages in vain attempt to learn it all at once.

“Not… Yet,” his words were slow, and he was about to fire some excuses as to why they should waste time sitting around with him reading the book.

“Then we’re walking.” Between everything that had happened in the last few hours, she felt emboldened. Emboldened enough to walk up to her now mate, and pull him into a piggyback ride.

“Hey, wait-” He protested while she reached around to press him into her back. She lifted him with skillful ease and together they moved. He was heavy, too heavy to run with and she would undoubtedly need rest soon. But it was at least faster, and didn’t leave as much of a trail. 

Callum was tense, clearly uncomfortable with just being carried. But he soon melted into her. His chin rested on her shoulder and his warm breath tickled her cheek.

“You’re strong. Like, _really_ strong,” he said it with such awe that she had to puff out her chest a bit. Nevermind how much slower she was, or that she was already panting.

“Maybe you’re just really small,” but the pride was shining through her voice. 

“Hey, I’m almost as tall as you.” She adjusted him, careful not to cause too much movement in his leg.

“Yeah, _almost_ ,” amusement was still heavy in both their voices but he was quiet for a moment.

“Is that one of the things you like about me?” He sounded genuinely confused.

“No? I mean, it’s not a bad thing. It’d be weird if you were as big as Soren,” she chuckled at the thought. It’s not that she particularly liked smaller or larger guys. But his small build was just part of being Callum, one of the things that she had come to appreciate.

“I still don’t understand it, but I’m glad you love me,” his arms, which were already wrapped around her, tightened into a hug and his eyes closed. He was just too fucking sweet, so _pure_. Not, not pure. Distinctly not, considering what he had been through. He had seen the worst of elves and still was so kind and gentle. That was something else, something better. Something that she needed to protect.

“If you don’t see it, there’s no helping you.”

“You know what I love about you?” You're really strong. You can fight anyone and do anything,” he patted her side, pointing out that she was literally carrying him. “But you're still so nice and kind. You use your strength to protect people. You'd never even think about hurting anyone. Unless they had it coming,” she felt him plant a kiss on her head. She sighed and enjoyed the praise and affection though couldn't agree with it. A Moonshadow assassin that didn't have the heart to kill wasn't a good thing.

“And here I thought that you just liked the sheen of my horns,” she chuckled, opting not to start any arguments. However Callum stiffened and shifted in that way that meant he had something to say but didn't know how to say it. She groaned.

“What is it?” She asked with some exasperation. There was a smile on her lips though. Callum was probably about to say something stupid and cute, possibly sweet.

“What do horns mean anyway?” He asked and she blinked.

“That question doesn't make any sense. They're horns, they don't mean anything.”

“No, I mean… What do they mean culturally? Are big horns good? Do you ever touch horns? Do they ever get tangled if so? What does it mean if they have more points? And uh, can I… touch yours?” He squeaked out the last question. She blinked once again, stopping in her tracks and letting go of the boy.

“I'm sorry if that was wired. You don't have to say anything, forget I asked,” he babbled on with his eyes locked on the ground. Rayla was quiet for a moment. Partially to collect her thoughts, but also because Callum was cute when he got worked up.

“Just weird having to explain it. I guess humans wouldn't have any way of knowing though,” she tried to think of how to explain a petty aspect of culture to someone who had no idea about it.

“Horns grow all our life. Bigger horns with more points means they are older, and we ought to respect them. They're kinda like hair I guess. You shouldn't be touching them unless you know them well. And never pull them. You can touch mine, if you want,” she had to blush and look away at the last line. Touching someone's horns was really just something lovers did.

“Horns getting stuck… well, we call that crossing horns, but it doesn't actually happen often. Usually only in pub brawls. It's mostly just a saying, but I guess it happens sometimes,” she tried to explain. Callum looked awestruck though and Rayla felt it was a good time for a question of her own.

“So, do you like them then?” She inquired and it was his turn to consider things. He fiddled his fingers, trying to come up with the words.

“Yeah, definitely. Is that wired? Should I not? I think they are cool and pretty,” he muttered, looking at them. She smiled.

“I think you should. People look better with them, don't you think?” She teased lightly, but decided to press on. “I was worried you didn't like them,” she confessed.

“What? Why wouldn't I?” He looked almost offended at the notion and she shrugged.

“Thought you would prefer human girls with human looking heads,” she answered truthfully. He smiled and leaned against her.

“Nah. I kinda have a thing for elves,” he laughed, his eyes were still locked on her horns.

“You only know one elf you dummy,” she teased

“Yeah, and I have a thing for her,” he smiled and she pressed them together in a kiss that he happily reciprocated. Their lips moved against each other and she pushed him against a tree. His hand crept up her back, through her hair and eventually rubbed against a horn. She shuddered and they briefly pulled apart.

“You said I could touch them,” Callum said with some coyness.

“Yeah, but only you. And it's only my horns you can touch,” she returned to the kiss, greatly enjoying his fingers rubbing the base of her horns.

.

Rayla again adjusted Callum. Her legs were tiring and she would need to rest soon. The cut on her forearm ached and it forced her mind into another direction.

“So the only good traveling spell you know is the morphing one. What kind of attack spells do you know?” She inquired as she backed to to a tree and let Callum off. She tried to stretch her arms and legs inconspicuously. She didn’t want to let on how heavy he was after she wowed him with her strength.

“Well, there's fulminis, but I also learned this one. _Fulmin Jaculus_ ," lightening cracked and sparkled in his hand similar to with fulminis. The basic difference seemed to be the shape and how easily it flew through the air. Further than she thought Callum would be able to throw it. Maybe it was also self propelling?

Callum swayed, apparently losing his balance from the throw. Rayla's arms were around him instantly, steadying him. He smiled at her and she was again reminded that they were more than friends. She ran her hands down his arms in a purely affectionate gesture before stepping away.

"Anything else?"

" _Ictus_." As soon as he muttered it the air around them swirled and collected. A wave of wind moved across then and the forest. Her hand rested on his back and stayed there to make sure he didn't topple over.

"I also know a spell that makes a wind barrier and one that sends you flying up. That one looked like it could break my other leg," he grinned at the thought. Rayla vaguely remembered hearing about that one.

Rayla thought about the spells and walked away a bit. She flicked out a blade and Callum sent her a weary look.

"Alright, try to fend me off," she challenged.

"What?" He croaked.

"You heard me. We're sparring."

"I can't even walk!"

"Which is why you need to practice defense. You can't run." He had good battle instincts. Maybe not much of a fighting spirit, but he could defend himself if he needed to. Practicing with the spells in combat, just a little bit, might be the difference between life and death in the coming weeks.

He clung to a tree for support and looked completely out of place.

"I'm coming at you now," she declared and he looked panicked. She took a wide, slow step forward, then another. He looked confused and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to train you, not terrorize you." As if she would just start sprinting at her untrained, injured mate. "Now attack me."

He defaulted to Aspiro. He moved relatively fast. She could have easily dodged it, but a slower soldier taken off guard wouldn't be so lucky. Not that she did dodge it. She opted to feel the plume of wind, noting how strong it was and how others might counter it.

Once it was over she began her approach again, a bit faster this time. He tried for Aspiro again but she readily dodged it.

"Don't expect your enemy to fall for the same attack twice." He instead drew a lightning bolt, but hesitated.

"I'm not going to hurt you, right?" She snorted at the idea.

"I'll do cartwheels all the back to Katolis if you do." The wind attacks she would get hit by to understand them better. But she rather not get electrocuted. Callum threw a bolt that was clearly aimed a little to her right. Really, after all this time you would think he'd know better than to pull his punches. She leapt forward, closing half the distance between them. He squealed and threw another bolt. That one was aimed true and she jumped left to dodge it. He quickly followed it up with another Aspiro that kept her moving.

She smiled, he was starting to get the hang of it, though he still needed more variety. She skid aside and leapt forward. She was moving faster than he could keep up. She was in front of him, causing him to jump and start to lose balance. She steadied him once again and leaned forward.

"Got you," she murmured before stealing a kiss from the startled mage.

.

Her legs were aching already. Carrying Callum all the way back to Katolis would be a hell of a workout. She didn't want to admit it, but she might be out of commission the next few days while her muscles recovered.

"Hey, what about this? Wind Dragons?" Callum was eagerly reading the book from her back.

"What's it do," she grunted.

"It, uh… Summons counter winds moving star patterned…" he trailed off, reading directly from the book. Maybe she should have gone for the smaller book, but then again she didn't exactly expect to need the book to get him home.

"I need another break," she twirled around and let him down. He frowned but didn't say anything. She was tiring faster and faster. He certainly noticed it. "And some water." She dug through their bags and got the canteens. They were close to empty, largely due to her increased thirst.

"You'll be fine if I go to the river, right?" She asked him. He was staring at her with guilt and shame, probably wallowing in how she was literally carrying them.

"Yeah, definitely." He didn't hide the pang of fear well.

"I won't be long. Or far," she planted a kiss on the side of his head just because she could. He smiled warmly and she relished in the delicate softness of it all. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss on the lips. She let him. She sighed and pressed their bodies together before stepping away.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. She gave one last smile before disappearing into the trees.

It was on her way back from the river that she heard it. Two men talking. It could be a pair of travelers. Maybe some hunters. Or they could be soldiers, looking for the escaped prince. She prowled closer and her fear was confirmed. Two Sunfire soldiers walked the river, apparently looking for signs of travel. Of them.

Of Callum.

She turned and rushed towards where she left him. She didn't hear any sounds of distress from him but maybe they were able to silence him. Maybe they were stalking them and waited for Rayla to leave her post. Like her parents did, like she already did once before.

Callum was still there, sketching on some loose papers she had in her bag. He looked up at her and smiled. She took a moment to appreciate that he was fine, apparently the soldiers hadn't quite found them yet. Yet.

"Hey Rayla, did you-" he started but his voice was far too relaxed.

"We need to go. Now." She packed up the free loose items and pressed Callum onto her back.

"What? What is it?" The fear was in his voice then.  
L  
"Soldiers. Don't think they found our tail yet. But they're close." Callum left a noticeable trail with good crutches. The fact that Rayla was carrying him was likely their only saving grace. But she was tired and sloppy. The soldiers would find signs of them soon.

She spied a small enclave, a dip in the earth half hidden by cliff. A perfect place to hide Callum.

"Stay here," she commanded as she eased him down.

"But-" He didn't want to be left alone. Not with soldiers so close. She didn't particularly want to leave him either.

"I need to find out how many there are and where. It'd be easier to do if I'm light," she placed the bags with him. It had to be done without him and it had to be done quickly. Those facts didn't help the ache at seeing the worry on his face. He grabbed her again, willing her to stay.

"What if they find me?" His voice was weak. Her words were firm.

"Then I'll kill them," she didn't know how serious the threat was, but it did bring some relief to his face. Only some.

"Promise you'll come back?"

She crashed her lips onto his. It was firm and determined and loving, everything that she had in her heart at that moment.

"I promise," she breathed when she pulled away. Callum let go of her arm. His hand shook and he shrunk down into the enclave. She backed away, and turned her focus to the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to porscheczar110 for beta reading this chapter and giving some valuable input. Finally we have a confession scene and some nice fluff. Which is good because next chapter things get serious again. It's going to be extra long and extra dark so be prepared.


	10. Gone

Callum took long, steadying breaths. Rayla would be back. She wouldn't leave him. Not again. He reminded himself of that over and over again. He tried to force the knowledge in but the coil of fear didn’t relax. He was hurt, alone, and deep in enemy territory. He heard a twig snap in the distance and he flinched. It wasn’t Rayla. Rayla never made a sound when walking. 

“It’s probably a wind deer,” an exasperated voice rang out, maybe a hundred yards away.

“Doesn’t look right for a wind deer,” a gruffer voice was entirely too close. Callum’s breath hitched. His mind was racing with incoherent thoughts. Briefly, one livid thought filtered through. _I’d rather die here than go back to Suwin._ His hands were steady as he silently dug through the bag. He was careful to make no sound and move as little as possible as he brought the knife out. He clutched it tightly.

“Found you,” the gruff voice purred into his ear. His body worked on reflex. Maybe it was Rayla’s brief training, maybe it was the fear of death and drowning. But suddenly all the lessons from Soren just snapped together.

The knife made its home in the soldier’s upper arm. Unlike when he attacked Rayla, it sunk deep into the flesh and the man screamed and stepped back. The other soldier yelled from the distance but Callum didn’t worry about him. He didn’t have to, at least not then.

“Fulminis,” he used his free hand to cast the spell. The soldier was still dazed, evidently not expecting much fight from the crippled boy. Not that Callum expected to put up a fight himself. The lightning ball also hit home, landing on the man’s chest. The blue light crackled and sizzled as it moved through him. His body seized and contorted and a horrendous screech left his chest. Did he just kill a man?

The other soldier was close, and he was prepared for a fight. Callum readied a lightning bolt and threw it. The soldier dodged but he had another flying at him before the first even missed. The second landed. He cried in pain but it wasn’t the horrible screech of the first. Callum was thankful for that at least.

Three more soldiers were charging from the trees. He slowed them with Aspiro. They scattered and retreated briefly but had regrouped all too soon. His mind mind blank. He was out of moves. Rayla warned him against using the same tricks over and over again. Enemies learn.

He briefly considered morphing but he was in low ground with no cliffs to be seen. He pressed himself against the rocks and readied a lightning bolt. There was nothing else to do now and he was probably going to go back to Suwin. He would rather die than go back. He would die with the general anyway.

A white, green, and black blue rushed between him and the soldier. She was quiet, as always. She was his hero. She had taken one soldier down when entering the battle. Another went down from a hard blow of the hilt of her sword. 

But there were more. Five more to be precise. And probably more after that. They were being descended on. Rayla could only fight off so many. He launched a lightning bolt at an unsuspecting soldier. It knocked him down, but the bolts were apparently weaker. It incapacitated them for a few minutes, but they would rise again unlike fulminis. The person that originally found him was still unconscious. Callum tried not to look at the body a few feet from him. He was breathing, but unsteadily. He might die. Callum might have stolen his breath like Suwin would steal his. Like he almost stole that girl’s breath. 

He used Aspiro to get a few guards off of Rayla but it wasn’t enough. They needed to do something.

“Callum, morph,” Rayla yelled from fifteen yards ahead.

“But…,” the doctor warned him not too. He didn’t think Rayla could hear him, but she seemed to understand his hesitation.

“Losing a leg is better than losing a life,” she was right. But he just didn’t like the thought. Didn’t like to think that this trip would leave lasting marks on him. She was going to lose a hand, he reminded himself. She was going to lose it because she refused to kill Ezran. She understood the risks and costs of battles much deeper than he did. He took a breath and tried to accept fate, whatever it may be.

“Volanious,” he muttered. Rayla didn’t waste time. She retreated to him and grabbed him and the bags. She moved much faster. Fast enough to outrun soldiers and to dodge the new ones that appeared. But they kept appearing and eventually she was forced to go back east, up the mountain. At least she could lose them over cliffs. Her skill set allowed her to scale them, whereas the soldiers had to go around. 

She was panting heavily when they had a moment to rest. The bags dropped around her and he could see the sweat soaking her hair. He took the moment to return to human form, so he too could rest. He felt utterly useless but there was nothing he could do.

He wobbled towards her and rested a hand on her back. Her breaths were raspy as she struggled to gulp down enough air.

“Thanks.” It was stupid, a palty reward for all she had done. But there was nothing else he could offer but the simple word.

She turned to look at him with a grin. Seemingly that was all the reward she needed.

“It’s just the mountain air,” she huffed. “I still need to get use to it again.” He felt it wasn’t entirely true, but he didn’t dare push it. His leg ached and he tried to ignore the pain. 

“What are you frowning about? We got away, didn’t we?” There was an edge to her voice. Callum was stuck thinking about the ache in his leg, what it might mean. What would happen if he got caught. They were close. They would track them and send more soldiers. And they were only closer to the city at that point. 

“Callum,” her eyes were hard and narrow and Callum really just wanted to be home. To be to safe and secure and not stuck worrying about life and death.

“Fucking say something Callum,” her voice was rough with anger and he flinched. He said one of the thoughts swirling in his head.

“I don’t want to go back. I don’t want him to drown me anymore.” He forced his breaths to come in steady waves. He needed to focus on the moment. He was safe. He was with Rayla. He had hope.

“He won’t. I promise,” she grabbed his hand. Her stare was still firm but the edge was gone. Her lavender eyes were intense but devoid of anger. It was replaced with shame and guilt. “I’m sorry about back there. I left you, and they almost got you.” She was looking at their joined hands. Her thumb rubbed the back of his hand. 

“You came back though. You saved me. Again.” He added the last word with a chuckle. It was always her saving him. Her hand was on his face and her lips was on his.

“And I always will,” it was a promise. He smiled at her and hoped that her words would be true.

.

Things had… not been going the best. They had evaded capture, so that was good. But just barely. The soldiers were hot on their heels and they were being forced higher and higher into the mountains. They avoided the city, at least, but only by going around it. The only saving grace was that it was mostly Sunfire elves chasing them, and Rayla had the agility to climb mountains faster than them. But eventually they would run out of mountain to climb.

They had certainly run low on food to forage. The lush forests were giving way to barren cliffs and rocks. All of it so damn steep too. She had found a few roots and edible leaves. Almost caught a rabbit, but ‘almost rabbit’ isn’t food.

“Not the best, but it’s edible,” she cooked the bits of food over a small fire. There was little in the way of firewood too. It did make the food better to eat, at least somewhat. There wasn’t enough for the both of them, but she split it evenly. Part of her wanted it all. The hungry part of her, the part that had been underfeed for days while diving deeper into the mountains. That part of her was happy to remind her that she was the one doing the running and jumping. She needed that food more than him.

But he was healing. And more than that, he was important to her. She couldn’t give him all the food he needed, not right then. But she could at least give him half. Because she loved him, and she needed him to be strong. Something that he distinctly was not at the moment.

He was leaning against a cliff face, one that Rayla would probably need to scale soon. Her starved muscles protested the idea, but there wasn’t any choice. As Callum had said before, they were doing that they needed to to avoid immediate death. 

“You could at least say ‘thank you’”, it was mostly to get him to talk. She never needed a thanks before for feeding him. But he was clearly down about the situation. There was a lot to be down about, in all fairness.

“Do you think Zym will remember us?” He asked after a while. It seemed like it should be a light hearted question, but the way he asked it made it clear that wasn't the case.

“I think so. They say dragons have great memories. That they remember just about everything and everyone.” Or so they say. It was hard for her to imagine, but dragons were powerful. 

“So when Zyms grows up, maybe he’ll be willing to give humans a chance.” Ah. That explained the heaviness to his question. The hope that it wasn’t all for naught. Because the current powers at be didn’t seem willing to give humans a chance.

“Hopefully before then. I don’t know who is making the decisions now, but they need to be hit.” She chewed on some of the cooked greenery. It was bitter and fibrous. But there was some energy to be gotten from it. He picked at a root. His face was about as sad as the food.

“You could have just delivered him yourself. We would have all been better off if you did.” He sighed. She couldn’t necessarily disagree, but the idea left a bitter taste in her mouth. More so than the actual bitter leaves.

“Maybe, but then we wouldn’t have learned to trust each other.” She wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. Maybe Zym wouldn’t have hatched. Maybe she would have lost her hand. 

“But then I wouldn’t die.” His eyes were locked onto the sky around them. They looked sullen, defeated. Her gut clenched and tried to think of what to say.

“You’re not _going_ to die. Not on my watch.” They were in a bind, but she wasn’t going to accept defeat. Not while they still had a chance. 

“Rayla, my leg is broken. I can’t run, I can’t fight. We are being chased up a mountain. How am I supposed to get back home?” She fought back her frustrations. 

“I smuggled you and Zym here, didn’t I? I can sneak you back home. I’m practically an expert on sneaking princes across enemy territory at this point.” He offered a weak smile.

“Maybe you are right… Hey, do you still have that charcoal and paper?” He asked carefully. She perked up, reaching into her bag. She told him about it, in case he wanted to draw. He refused when she did, saying that he was too tired. But she was happy to see him returning to it. A little piece of normalcy. She appreciated it after heavy conversations like that one.

He went to it, and she took in her surroundings yet again. They needed an escape plan. Once they were back in Katolis she could give him shit for being such a downer.

She tried to stay positive. Or at least focused. Things were bleak, but she wasn’t going to give up. Not like her sad prince apparently had. She found herself lost in her own pep talk, idly listening to pencil scrap across paper. 

.

“We need to do something. We can’t keep going like this Rayla,” Callum spoke up from his spot against a cliff. Rayla was staring off into the cold, stoney peaks. 

The now familiar feeling of hunger set in. It was a relatively new experience for Callum, who grew up as a well-fed prince. But the sluggishness and heavy limbs were a reminder of his first few days at the castle. When Suwin starved him for asking to go home.

“I think there might be a pass just a bit north of here. We could lose the soldiers easily in these cliffs and slip away there.” Rayla said with forced optimism in her voice. She was also slowing. The hunger and cold was getting to her too. But she had a plan. She always had a plan. Callum was so thankful for her. But the last few days of ascending into the mountains hadn’t been working out for them. The soldiers were behind them in the literal sense- or rather below them- but figuratively they had been staying one step ahead. Predicting where they would try to go and blocking potential exits. 

“What if they are there too Rayla?” His voice was soft and he was worried it got lost in the winds whipping by them. But Rayla’s ears were sharp, and she never seemed to miss a word he said.

“Then we’ll have to fight our way down.” She said it with that fake confidence he had learned to pick up. She said it like it wasn’t a big deal when it very much was.

“What if they are starving us up here? Making it easier to fight us?” The words tumbled out of him. The thoughts had been building up for a while now.

“Then we’ll show them that wasn’t a good choice,” her voice was harsh, like he was insulting her. Maybe he was, implying that she couldn’t protect them. He adored her and he knew how capable she was. But she was only one person. She had done so much for him, way more than he could have ever expected her to. More than he could have asked. He had to say the next part. He knew Rayla would hate it, but he had to say it.

“Things are bad,” he started. She didn’t let him continue.

“I know!” Her hands went up, as though trying to defend herself. Maybe she really was taking it as a personal insult. “But I’ve been trained for tough situations like these. I promise you, I’ll get you out of here alive.”

“Rayla, listen. I hope you can get us out of this. But, if you can’t-” Her eyes were on him with a fiercosity that almost scared him. “ _If_ things don’t work out well… They want me, not you. And if it is a choice between just one of us dying or both of us…” Her stare wasn’t letting up. It was only getting more intense. She looked furious. Furious and heartbroken. Rage covering up hurt. 

“I’m not leaving you, Callum.” Her words were careful, measured. A calm before the storm. A particularly powerful gust of wind slapped them, causing them to sway slightly. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of a pocket.

“If I never come home, they’ll wonder what happened. Maybe the war will continue. And… Ezran deserves better than for me to just disappear in Xadia. So, if things look bad, you need to leave me. Go back to Ezran and give him this.” He held out his hand, offering the letter. She stared at him, tense. She didn’t move to take the paper. “Rayla, please.” Her chest was heaving, her jaw clenched, her fists balled. It was the maddest he had ever seen her. A snarl appeared on her lips.

“No.” It was a whisper. Her voice cracked and he winced, realizing just how close to tears she was.

“You said you wanted to go to fight for Katolis, to serve me and Ezran. This is important. Not just for me but-”

“No!”, she yelled, her lavender eyes still simmering with rage and pain. Callum almost relented. But he couldn’t. If he died there, it would be bigger than him or Rayla. Whatever they had between them, the foreign love that was blossoming, it was all so tiny compared to a war between Xadia and Katolis.

“Rayla! You swore to serve me. I am your prince, and you are my soldier. This is an order.” He tried to channel Amaya, forcing himself to be a commander. In that moment, they weren’t lovers. He was her superior, and she needed to take an order.

Wordlessly she took the paper, and tucked into a pocket. The mountain winds still screamed through the cliffs, but the two were silent. Callum wanted to thank her, to apologize. To do anything to fix what he had to do. But no words came. There were no words, really.

“I’m going to scout ahead.” She turned and left, navigating narrow ledges and steep cliffs. Callum carefully slid down by their bags, letting her go.

He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want his last words to Ezran be in that letter. But he was, well, pitiful. He was never impressive to start with. He couldn’t defend himself, not against a single soldier. And there seemed to be hundreds scattered about the mountains, never alone. And with his broken leg, he couldn’t run either. Couldn’t run, couldn’t fight. All he could do was hope that Rayla would save him.

But he was a prince. And sometimes that meant seeing the big picture, no matter what it meant for you. He wasn’t worth Rayla dying over anyway. He wasn’t strong, or fast or smart. After he almost killed that little girl, he couldn’t even say he was that good either. None of those thoughts helped the guilt that settled into his bones. He had never seen Rayla so upset. He never wanted to see it again. 

“Let’s go,” her voice was still hard. The hurt was still in her eyes. He picked up his crutch and they walked along the winding trails through the mountain peaks. She stopped carrying him a while ago. He didn’t leave as much of a trail in the stoney cliffs, that was her justification. But he also knew she was getting too exhausted from it. She was getting weaker by the day and soon, he worried she would cross a point of no return. That she wouldn’t be able to escape without him, even if she tried. He had begun to accept his own death. But he couldn’t accept her dying with him.

His crutch landed on loose rock and he stumbled. Her hands were around, catching him. She was always there for him, even when she shouldn’t be. Her arms were firm and protective, keeping him from falling. Her hands clutched at his flesh and she pulled him in for a hug.

“I don’t want you to die,” her words were soft. They held all of the pain and none of the anger from earlier.

“I don’t want you to die either,” it was a simple truth. “If only one of us can make it, it should be you.” It was another simple truth. Ryla was better than him. In every possible way, she was better.

“You’re my prince, remember? I’m suppose to be dying for you.” He snorted despite the situation. She had him there.

“If I’m your prince, Ezran is your king. And he needs you too,” his hands rubbed by her pocket, feeling the crisp, folded paper inside it. “Besides, I’m not worth dying for.” She pulled him against a cliff face and they took a moment to enjoy each other’s embrace.

“You are to me,” her words were firm and her breath warm on his neck. Words started to tumble out of him

“But I’m not. Ezran is king, you’re the fighter, I don’t do anything. I’m not even a good person. I robbed a family.” 

“I heard them talking about it when I was tracking you. They didn’t seem too put out,” she tried to comfort him, but she just didn’t understand.

“I almost killed a little girl,” that made her go stiff. “I didn’t think anyone was there, but there was a girl. She saw me and I knew she would tell her parents. And her parents would will tell guards, and Suwin would find out where I was. I had the knife and I was going to…” he couldn’t finish it. Rayla was still and quiet for a moment. His heart pounded as he imagined what she thought of him.

“But you didn’t,” her words were slow and careful. Probing.

“No, but I was close. Instead I asked for medicine and she helped me. I was going to kill her and she helped me.” Part of him felt good for exposing his sin. Part of him felt like a monster.

“Callum,” she pushed him away slightly so they could make eye contact. She looked weary. Was he really that bad?

“You didn’t hurt her. You wanted to because she could have ended you. But you didn’t,” her words were a comfort, but she clearly had more say. Something difficult to say.

“Remember how we met?” In the castle, the night his dad died. “I was going to kill you. I mean it, I was going to kill you like were going to kill the girl.” Suddenly his perspective shifted. He felt a little bit stupid talking like that to a trained assassin sent to kill his family. 

“And even after finding the egg. I thought about it.” She looked away, and a small chill crept through him. “It would have been easier. I would have kept my hand, and been able to make sure that Zym made it home. I’d be a hero. It would have just been easier, better, to kill you and Ezran.” There was guilt and shame on her face. The same emotions mirrored in him.

“But you didn’t,” he murmured, understanding what she meant.

“No, I didn’t. Because I couldn’t. When I had a blade to your throat, I couldn’t. I wanted to, but I just couldn’t.” He recalled having the knife ready. Deciding that he was going to do it, going to end the girl. And that his hand just wouldn’t agree. Was that how Rayla was when she was going to kill him? She should have killed Ezran but she didn’t. She wasn’t a bad person for it, she was a good person. And he was a good person for not killing the girl.

“It’s what you do, not what you think about, that matters. Understand?” A shaky smile escaped him.

“Yeah, I do.” 

“Good. Now let’s keep walking,” they did. And despite all the grief and rage earlier, their mood managed to cheer up. Not that anything was better, but they didn’t want to let the high spirits die.

“So, if we have kids, how are we going to tell them we met?” He asked jokingly. She rolled her eyes but a smile was on her lips.

“We’ll tell them that a haunted painting got us together,” she reminded him of Ezran’s intervention that night. Callum chuckled and was left thinking about Ezran and the tunnels connecting various rooms in the castle.

“Ezran might be moving to the king’s chamber, since he is king now,” Callum started. Rayla sent him a confused glance, clearly not following the shift in conversation.

“That means his current room will be free. If, uh, you want it. It’s right next to mine. Not that you have to…” a deep red blush spread across his face and he begun fumbling for words. He just thought that, if they were dating and she was going to live there. But she didn’t have to, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

She laughed and he pressed his lips together in a pout. Gently she maneuvered him against a cliff and her lips found his. He greedily soaked up the affection, though he still wasn’t totally sure what was funny. 

“Yes you dummy. I’ll stay in the room next to yours. For a while anyway. I suppose eventually we’ll end up sharing a room.” She was smiling coyly, apparently enjoying him squirm. His heart thundered at the idea of being back home with Ezran and Rayla. He heart ached for that simple dream. 

“Callum, you’re such a-,” she started but never finished. “Fuck…” she muttered under her breath. Callum instantly knew his time, their time together, was up. Moonshadow elves appeared, two of them. Rayla’s blades were out and Callum slunk against a cliff face. They had similar outfits to Rayla. Other assassins? Didn’t they need a ‘clean body’ for Callum? Or were they going to kill Rayla and take him?

The thought was… heavy. He didn’t want Rayla to die with him. There was no point. And she was the only one he could trust to deliver the message to Ezran. He told her to leave him is she had to. But would she really do it?

The fight started and any semblance of gentleness Rayla had before was gone. She was once again a fearless warrior and assassin. She moved faster than he could follow. So did the other Moonshadow elves. Callum pressed himself against the cliff face, suddenly very worried for his life. If one of them managed to get past Rayla, he wouldn’t even be able to see death coming.

It soon became apparent that he wasn’t their immediate goal. While she was busy fending off one of them, the other would sneak up from behind. A blade landed in her flesh, blood spilled on rock. She was able to dodge the worst of it, but the two elves took turns distracting and attacking. More cuts and more blood. They were going to kill her, and then he would be theirs. That was it, that was the end. Rayla was going to be killed in front of him, he would captured, and Suwin would torture him to death. 

It couldn’t end like that. It couldn’t. He couldn’t let her die for him. If she died, he was doomed anyway. So, it seemed like an obvious choice. He did it without overthinking it, something rare for him. Using his good leg, he lunged towards the open skies in front of him. He cast the spell and morphed before just before he left the ground. Wide wings replaced arms and he felt the strong winds carry him away. He didn’t know where, but it didn’t matter. That way, Rayla at least had a chance. They wanted him, and they would have to chase after him.

Much like his inaugural flight, that one was bumpy and filled with powerful gusts dragging him around. He kept his wings flat, demanding the wind to carry him away. The muscles burned from the use and hunger but he had to keep going. He had to. Eventually the winds brought him to a halt.

Unfortunately the landing was rough. It was too much and he broke the spell. He was stuck in human form without a crutch in sight. He was utterly helpless. All he could do was hope that his desperate plan worked. That they would leave Rayla. Or that they were distracted enough for her to beat them. Or just that something good would come from his move. Maybe she, at least, could make it out of there alive.

He snuggled against a cold cliff face. The mountain air cut through the peaks, chilling him. He couldn’t hear anything over the wind. He couldn’t do anything. All he could do was wait. 

A familiar figure found him. But not quite familiar. He had the same hair, the same horns. His clothes were a little bit different, but similar. He carried a single, larger blade. His eyes were golden and so very pleased.

“Found you,” his voice was loud over the wind and it shook through Callum’s body. The hope that had blossomed inside him evaporated. He was going to die. It was going to be an awful death. The best he could hope for was that Rayla would leave him to his fate. Something that he doubted she would. He silently wished, begged, that she would go. Deliver the message to Ezran and just be safe. Live a long and happy life for him.

The Moonshadow elf pulled Callum up roughly, resting him against the man’s back. His leg hurt but the man didn’t care. Why would he?

“Are you going to make this hard for me, or can you just stay still a while,” he asked, but Callum didn’t reply. He didn’t have the energy or the hope to fuel him. They weaved around the mountains fast, faster than he could have with Rayla. The man was apparently stronger than her. Did he kill her? Callum looked at his sword. It seemed to be clean of blood. Did the other elf kill her? Would they be together again after he died?

He was dropped down roughly. Without any warning or anything nearby for support. Pain flared out from his leg and for a moment, all he knew was that.

“And the girl?” It was Suwin’s voice. Callum curled in on himself. Not Suwin. He would accept his death, he just didn’t want to be from that man.

“Caries is holding her back.” The Moonshadow man reported. Caries must be the other one.

“Do you think she can take down the traitor?” Of course that is all Rayla is to them. A traitor to be killed.

“Alone? I… I’m not sure. Maybe not.” He sounded so skeptical, it brought a smile to Callum’s face. Maybe she could escape. She would see that Callum was captured, that it was too late for him. She would knew to leave him, right? To save herself, to carry the message to Ezran. To live for him.

“Is the traitor a better fighter or can she keep her preoccupied at least?” Suwin looked frustrated. “I need you to escort our final guest here, but I would rather not have the traitor intrerupt us.” Callum was lost. A ‘final guest’? Wouldn’t Suwin just want to kill him? Or smuggle him back into a dungeon?

“Caries will not let you down. Neither will I.” He returned to a formal pose, confidence radiating from the assassin. 

“Good. Now, the spell,” Suwin gestured towards Callum, who shrunk back. The Moonshadow looked weary.

“His leg is injured. How should I proceed?” Callum was calculating his next move. If this was it for him, he would try to give Suwin a face full of lightning. A parting ‘fuck you’ to the general. But if the Moonshadow was going to leave them alone, he might actually be able to escape afterwards. So he waited tentatively, trying to find a good time to strike.

“If there are onlookers, try to have a limp. Otherwise, be quick.” Suwin commanded. The Moonshadow seemed to accept this and began drawing a rune, chanting. Callum moved his hand up, ready to defend himself. But the spell was over before he got the chance.

He was staring at himself. A version of himself with two good legs and cold, hard eyes that stood in place of the Moonshadow. Callum dropped his hand, still trying to make sense of it all.

“Good, now go.” Suwin ordered and Callum’s doppelganger was off with the agility and speed of a Moonshadow elf. Callum and Suwin were alone on a small, stoney outcrop. The wind buffered them even harder, since they were unprotected with cliff faces.

Suwin took in the surroundings, searching for friend or foe. Callum decided it was his best chance. 

“Ful-,” he started. A swift kick in his gut stopped him. The rune that he started to draw sparked and faded.

“None of that, boy,” Suwin sneered from above him while he gasped in pain. “I’ve fought many battles and killed many mages. Most better than you.” Of course. Of course he couldn't just take him down. Suwin was a powerful soldier, probably comparable to Amaya. Callum tried to think of something, but drew a blank. He was really just at the General’s mercy.

“What are you going to do?” Callum asked weakly. He was on the ground, away from any ledges. Carefully placed to prevent any jumps.

“Me? I’m just protecting Xadia. The question is, what are you going to do?” Callum stared at him, his eyes confused and almost begging. Maybe not begging for life. He knew that wasn’t going to happen. But begging for some mercy. A painless, quick death maybe. 

“I’m going to die.” It was a fact, not a question. Suwin chuckled.

“Yes, that is one thing. But before that, you are going to show the world that humans are a threat, and never to be trusted. Even when you seem to do good, you will return to your vile ways soon enough.” Callum tried to piece it together. Was Suwin going to frame him for something?

From behind Suwin’s intense stare, he saw movement. The familiar white hair and horns of a Moonshadow elf. And that time, they were nicely familiar. Rayla peaked from behind a rock in an elevated spot. She flapped her arms up and down, trying to signal a crude plan to Callum. He understood, but didn’t dare let on that he saw anything. Not under Suwin’s intense stare.

A rock landed a few feet away from them. Suwin drew his sword, turning his attention that way. Callum took the moment to morph. He was too far from a cliff to glide, and far too weak to try to get elevation himself. But none of that mattered. A light blur grabbed him and they were off. Callum could hear Suwin scream in anger but Rayla was much faster than him.  
It was then that Callum noticed she wasn’t as fast as she normally was. She was limping and bleeding. Her arm, her leg, her side. Deep cuts everywhere. She was covered in blood, far too much blood. Callum had never seen her so hurt. He chirped, because that was all he could say. 

“‘M fine. Just some cuts. Had worse.” She was panting, struggling to get the words out. She shouldn’t have gone back for him. She couldn’t escape like that. Not with everyone hunting her. Maybe if they focused on Callum she could. But…

Suwin wasn’t pursuing them. They had managed to get to an elevated neighboring ledge, thanks to a hefty jump and some rock climbing from Rayla. Even when she was so hurt, she was still strong. Suwin couldn’t climb like Rayla could, even when she was injured. But he still didn’t even seem to be trying. Did Suwin give up? No, there had to be something.

He was still back at the orignal outcrop. But his ‘final guest’ had arrived. Zym. The little dragon was without his mother or any keeper or whoever should be watching after the baby dragon. Just Suwin and a dagger. The Moonshadow, still disguised as Callum, was navigating the cliffs, after Rayla and himself.

It made sense. Suwin wanted Callum to kill Zym, and then he would kill Callum. Make it seem like Callum wanted to kill Zym, because he was just a bloodthirsty human, and that Suwin tried to protect the Dragon Prince. Of course the plan would only work if both princes died.

Or at least if the Dragon Prince died. If Zym remembered Suwin trying to kill him, if he told his mom, Suwin would be dead. But if Zym died and Callum survived, he could still say Callum killed him. It would be Suwin’s word against Callum’s, and the elves were going to trust their general over a human.

Zym bit the general and managed to get away. Or at least get a bit of distance. Suwin easily cornered him against a cliff. Zym was going to die. Rayla couldn’t get there fast enough to stop it. Zym, the innocent baby prince. He formed such a bond with Ezran. Watching the two together, Callum knew there could be peace between humans and elves if they were in charge.

Once again, Callum acted without overthinking it. He leapt from Rayla again and glided towards his enemy and tormentor. He needed elevation and managed to beat his starved wings enough to gain just enough height to land in front of Zym. He broke the spell and stared down the general. The general looked dumbfounded, but laughed after a moment. He could faintly hear Rayla yelling something that was lost to the wind. No doubt she was mad. But it would take her a minute to retrace her steps and return. Too long to save either of the princes.

“Well, this is even better. Be a dear and show the world how evil humans are,” he offered the dagger to Callum. It was a testimony to just how confident he was at overpowering Callum, to give him a weapon. But then again, he wasn’t wrong. Dagger or no, Suwin would easily kill Callum. The ache in his gut reminded him of that. Which was unfortunate, because Callum didn’t have much in the way of a plan.

“Quickly now, before your friend gets here. Or I can finish you both off,” he started to draw his sword. Zym jumped into Callum’s arms, whimpered, and rested his head into his chest. A plan formed, and he really hoped Rayla was right about dragons remembering everything.

“Go find your mom. Don’t leave her,” he whispered into Zym’s mane. Zym licked at his chin, giving him some ‘zappy kisses’. Callum raised the blade and pulled Zym away from his chest. He took a breath and prepared himself. As quickly as he could he dropped the blade and drew the rune. He would only have time to cast one spell, he knew that. And it had to a spell to completely foil Suwin’s plan. An attack on Suwin could be countered or blocked. He simply couldn’t defeat the general. He had to go another route.

“Aspiro.” He threw Zym up, into the current of air he created. Zym had wind under his wings and he was able to fly up and away. He rose into the sky, becoming a smaller and smaller dot. Callum kept exhaling, keeping the vortex going. The higher he could get the little dragon, the easier it would be to get to his mom. Callum continued to exhale, giving him as much as he could.

“You mother fucker!” Suwin was angry, no surprise. It didn’t stop Callum. What did was the sword. He felt it ram into his back. It was an odd feeling, being physically attached to something like that. His breath stopped immediately in a weak gasp. He looked down and saw the sword dig into the cliff in front of him. It took a moment to realize the blade went _through_ him, piercing his chest and digging into the stone in front of him. Some part of him was impressed by just how strong Suwin was. He really did never stand a chance.

A foot was on his back and the sword left him. It pulled through him with the fury of the sun and new pain filled him. He fell, but for once he couldn’t feel the pain of his leg. Suwin ran after the dragon, trying to catch him. Zym had too much elevation. It was futile. Callum did his job.

He tried to take a breath, but his lungs refused. His chest racked with a cough, too much motion, and fluid left him. Like when he was getting the water, he couldn’t breath and there was only water willing his lungs. But this time it was blood. He tried to take another breath, but again, his lungs protested. He coughed up more blood. No air, only blood. The wind was still whipping by but he couldn’t feel it. His limbs were cold and heavy.

Rayla appeared. He couldn’t say when exactly. Her hand was on his chest. His chest hurt. He sucked in another pitiful breath. It wasn’t enough. There was no air, only water in his lungs. He was drowning and that was how he was going to die. Suwin was going to drown him to death and steal his breath after all. His chest refused to take in the air his body demanded. He looked up at Rayla.

She looked beautiful. Her silver hair was blowing wildly in the wind and her lavender eyes were soft. She would look better without the tears and blood though.

He tried to take another breath, but again, he couldn’t. His body didn’t feel starved for oxygen anymore. It just felt like nothing. And then, he saw nothing. He was gone to the world. His last sight was Rayla heaving with sobs, her cries getting drowned out by the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scroll up and look at the tags. I have happy ending in there. That is a promise my friends.
> 
> So things are heating up, and I've actually finished writing this story. And I don't like to do cliff hangers. So from here on out I will be updating every day. Also, there's 15 chapters now because the final chapter just got too long.


	11. Ezran

The air in the room was thick with tension. The council stared at Ezran. None of them looked anything but horrified. It was all a mixture of fear and pain. It was in rather stark contrast to Ezran’s bubbly explanation. He excitedly prattled on about his adventures with the assassin elf and baby dragon, catching everyone up.

The council was happy to have Ezran back. But he was only one of the two princes. They were weary to learn that Callum was still with the elf assassin. But after learning that they were both in Xadia, the panic set in.

“So where exactly is Callum _now_ ,” Opeli asked with worry thick in her voice. Her hands shook. They never shook, she was always the picture of calm composure. But not that day.

“Well, somewhere in Xadia,” Ezran cocked an eyebrow, thinking about it. It had been about two weeks since he left them. But he didn’t know where exactly in Xadia Zym’s mom was. Rayla said that she moved pretty far in after Thunder died. On some mountain somewhere.

“Where in Xadia would he be?” Gren asked, translating for Amaya. She was by a map of the continent. Fear was also painted her face. Ezran frowned, wanting to make them understand. Callum had Rayla with him, so he would be fine. And they wouldn’t hurt Callum when he brought Zym back. He'd be a hero to them.

“I picked up King Ezran here,” Corvus pointed to a southern part of the map. Pain shot through Ezran’s heart at his title. He was king now, because his dad was dead. The reminder briefly distracted him from the topic at hand.

“And you left Callum with the elf to enter Xadia?” Gren’s voice was monotone, but Amaya’s face showed rage.

“He’s fine, he has Zym and Rayla,” Ezran tried to explain again. Everyone ignored him. He was scared of being king and missed his dad and brother. He felt like no one was listening to him and he didn’t have anyone to go to but he was king. He tried to remind himself of that and act like a king. Like his dad. But he was still just a kid. 

“He was determined to go. And he had a Moonshadow assassin with him!” Corvus defended himself. Ezran sulked at being ignored.

“You let a Moonshadow assassin take him into Xadia?” Gren was again not conveying the rage on Amaya’s face.

“They seemed to be friendly. Callum wasn’t under duress,” Corvus again defended himself. Amaya started to sign but Ezran had enough.

“Guys! Listen to me!” Ezran tried to use the best ‘king voice’ a ten year old could muster. “Rayla is our friend, she wouldn’t do anything to hurt me or Callum. And Callum knows how important it is to get Zym back to his mom.” He puffed out his chest and tried to be authoritative. The council at least acknowledged him, but they were clearly not convinced.

“When we met at the Banther Lodge, he said that she was a monster,” Gren interpreted Amaya. This time she looked sad. Like she pitied Ezran.

“Yeah, he was being a jerk. And lying. Rayla never made us go anywhere. We wanted to go with her. She just wanted to get Zym back home, and we did too.” Ezran still didn’t understand why Callum lied. It would have been so much easier to tell the truth. And then this wouldn’t be a problem right now.

“He’s fine, I know it. He has Rayla to protect him. And Zym is a prince in Xadia. They won’t hurt Zym’s friend,” Ezran smiled, completely confident. He was still the only optimist in the room.

“So they had two weeks to travel into Xadia. And we have no idea what direction they went,” Gren translated. Amaya turned to the map of the continent, hung on the wall. She drew an arc digging into Xadia. “They could be anywhere here.” He continued to interpret her signs. Ezran pouted from his seat but let them continue.

“Can we get to him?” Opeli asked, staring at the map. “How far into Xadia can we go?” Amaya met her eyes with sorrow in hers.

“Sending in a soldier while avoiding detection would be difficult. The best point of entry for such a mission would be here,” Gren said as Amaya marked a spot on the breech.

“Don’t send soldiers in! We don’t need to, and people will only get hurt,” Ezran butted in. Amaya turned her eyes to him. She took a deep breath, and started addressing him.

“Ezran, you are such a sweet boy. But you are king now. And you need to make difficult decisions. In order to do that, you need to consider situations very carefully, and listen to advisors.” Gren’s voice was soft, matching Amaya’s face. Ezran pressed his lips together, getting ready for a lecture.

“Maybe you liked Rayla, but most elves don’t like humans. If they decide they don’t like Callum, we can’t do anything to protect him. If we want to make sure he is safe, we need to do something now.” Gren continued. Ezran was unconvinced.

“We don’t need to do anything. He has Rayla and Zym. Sending soldiers into Xadia is just going to make things worse. Just let him return Zym and everything will be fine.” Everyone in the room stared firmly at the boy king. 

“Ezran, think carefully about this. You might come to regret this decision later,” Opeli's voice was soft but Ezran was far past the point of being comforted.

“You’re saying that like I’m not thinking about this. I am! And I would regret sending soldiers in. We are all just going to let Callum finish and then he’ll come home.” The room was still and the others were formulating their responses. Ezran had enough. 

“King’s orders!” He added. It was something dad would say when he wanted to end the conversation. He got up and left the room. He wanted to be alone. Well, he wanted to go to dad or Callum, but…

Ezran picked up bait and wiped tears from his eyes. Dad was gone and Callum was away, and everyone expected him to make decisions. But then they didn’t trust him to make those decisions. He was tired and sad and frustrated. He knew Callum was doing something really important, but he wished he was home. Ezran felt overwhelmed and needed his big brother. 

.

A week went by. Life at the castle was similar in a lot of ways. But in many ways it was very different. Without dad or Callum, Ezran found himself lonely. Sure, there was Claudia and Soren and Opeli, but he missed his family. All he had left was Bait.   
Amaya too, but they just fought most of the time.

He was also very busy. They wanted him in a ton of meetings, every day. They were constantly asking him about stuff that he didn’t really understand. He wanted Callum to get home already. Ezran decided that he would ask Callum to be his regent. It was all too much for him, and he just needed a little bit more time. Dad had been training Callum how to rule along with Ezran, and Callum was older so it made sense.

“I wonder what they are doing,” Ezran idly asked Bait. He stole himself away into his bedroom. He just wanted some time alone to be a kid, without having to rule the largest human kingdom. 

“I hope Zym is doing okay. He hasn’t asked for help in a long time,” Ezran recalled when Zym reached out to him, sensing that Callum and Rayla needed help crossing the Breach. Bait looked at Ezran and he could sense that Bait was assuring him they were fine.

“I sure hope so. Everyone thinks something awful happened to him,” their worry was starting to wear down on Ezran. There was a knock and he groaned. “Come on.” It was Amaya. Ezran would have normally been happy to see his aunt, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t like the conversation. The only thing she ever talked to him about anymore was Callum or war stuff.

 _We need to talk about Callum_ , she signed. Ezran groan again.

 _He’s fine. Just give him some time_ , he signed back. Ezran really wanted his brother back. He missed him and needed him to help rule, but also to get everyone else to understand that elves weren’t their enemy. Coming back alone, he didn’t have anyone else to vouch for them. Everyone was treating him like a kid who didn’t understand anything. But maybe they would listen to Callum when he got back.

Amaya sighed and Ezran could see the grief in her eyes. He wanted to scream that Callum wasn’t dead, that he was fine, but he knew it wouldn’t help.

 _How long should we give him?_ She asked gently. It was different from her usual, frantic, ‘we need to invade Xadia right now’ talks. Ezran stopped to think about the question.

 _I don’t know. Rayla said it might take a month to get to Zym’s mom. So we should hear from him in a week._ It would be nice to hear from him.

 _Okay Ezran. We can talk about this in a week_. Amaya signed and squeezed his shoulder. Unease and frustration sprung up in Ezran. Callum wasn't dead but everyone was talking like he was. Amaya left the room and Ezran was alone again with his thoughts. 

“He’s not dead Bait. He’s not.” He hugged his companion to his chest. Bait croaked agreeingly.

.

He said a week, but when it passed Ezran still fought back. They would have just gotten Zym home. They needed some time to figure things out. And what if they got delayed? So Ezran wasn't really worried a month after he left his brother. Maybe a little bit, but not really.

But another two weeks passed and still nothing. Ezran found it harder and harder to make excuses. He stared at the plate of jelly tarts in front of him. He thought it would make him feel better, but he found himself unable to eat them. Instead he stared at them, acutely aware of how big and empty the dining room was. 

Ezran was surprised to find a wet tear rolling down his cheek. He wiped it and sniffled. Callum was fine. He was just getting caught up with something, but he was fine. He had Zym and Rayla. He had to be fine. The door creaked open and Ezran flinched. He didn’t want to fight with the council anymore. He was having a hard time convincing himself that Callum was okay. 

It was Amaya again. Her face was covered in grief, like it had been for the last five weeks. Ezran wiped away another tear and sniffled. Callum was okay. He had to be. He waited for her to start signing, for another fight. But instead she kneeled down and wrapped him into a hug. His arms wrapped around her before he could even think about it. A dam broke and tears poured out of the child king. She pulled away and started to sign.

 _Ezran, it’s time._ He whimpered. He wasn’t ready.

 _They need more time. I bet that-_ she rested a hand on his tiny ones, stopping him. Her look was firm, yet pleading.

 _We need to mourn Ezran. You need to mourn._ He could see the tears pooling in her eyes and no no no. Callum was okay. He had to be okay.

 _He has Rayla, she wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him._ Rayla was really strong and smart. And even though no one seemed to believe him, she was also really nice and cared about the princes. Amaya sighed.

 _If she really did want to protect Callum,_ Ezran knew that ‘if’ was just there to humor him. _They would execute her too. Even if she was a great warrior, she couldn’t stand up to an entire army._ Execute. The word made Ezran bring his knees to his chest. He shakily raised a hand to sign ‘no’, but no other words came to him.

Callum was fine. He was fine. He had to be. They wouldn’t hurt him. He was returning Zym! Why would they hurt him? Amaya pulled him into another hug and he couldn’t stop the tears. Callum was okay. He couldn’t leave him. He just lost dad and…

Ezran was sobbing into Amaya’s chest. He could feel her own chest rattle with silent cries. Callum wasn’t okay.

.

That night Ezran had horribles dreams. He hoped they were just that, but he felt like they were more. It felt like Zym was calling out to him, asking for help while Ezran was dreaming. Zym was being carried by Callum through winding cliffs. But something was wrong. Callum’s eyes were hard and his scowl was bitter. The way he walked was different too, like how Rayla walked. More and more Zym felt uneasy. The smell wasn’t right either. He chirped and whined, but the arms only held him tighter.

“Quiet now young prince. Times are dire and sacrifices need to be made,” the words rolled off his tongue all wrong, as a low growl. Zym flapped his wings and Ezran told him to search for Rayla. Something was wrong with Callum, very wrong. The small dragon struggled but the grip was firm and eventually he nestled down, hoping that Callum knew best.

Soon they met someone else. A sunfire elf. He was large, middle aged, and wore gleaming gold and silver armor. He had a dagger and cruel eyes.

“Where’s the human?” Callum asked with some worry.

“The traitor got him. Find them and kill them,” the sunfire demanded harshly. Callum stiffened but moved fast. He shoved Zym in the Sunfire's arm and left. He leapt and ran with more grace than he ever had before. It struck Ezran again that he looked like Callum but moved just like Rayla.

Zym was left with the man. He was already scared and with Callum gone he panicked. Ezran didn’t exactly know how much of it was his own fear but he also knew something was wrong. Zym bit down. His teeth met metal armor but electricity crackled through it. 

The elf hissed and dropped the small dragon. Zym tried to run, and Ezran pointed him towards a cliff. But the elf was too fast. He lunged down, trying to grab the dragon prince. Zym was forced to change directions and back into a cliff face. He instinctively barked, more lightening popping inside his mouth. The massive elf in front of him didn’t seem deterred.

There was a small, brown blur and suddenly Callum was back. He stood defiantly between the elf and the dragon. Zym scuttied between his legs, noting an odd casing around one. A cast, Ezran recognized. Ezran’s heart swelled because _that_ seemed like Callum. The way he stood, the look on his face. His faith in his brother seeped into the dragon.

The elf laughed. “Well, this is even better. Be a dear and show the world how evil humans are,” a glint of metal was offered to Callum. Zym looked up to the boy with the all the hope and confidence that Ezran had for him.

“Quickly now, before your friend gets here. Or I can finish you both off,” the elf continued. Zym leapt into Callum’s arms, willing the boy to make it alright again. Callum looked down and whispered into the dragon’s mane.

“Go find your mom. Don’t leave her,” Zym looked into his eyes and Ezran could see determination swimming in them. There was also a certain level of peace and acceptance. Like he really would make everything okay. Zym licked at his chin, thanking him.

He extended Zym away from him and held a dagger towards him. Ezran didn’t understand, he didn’t know what to think. Callum looked mean at first, and brought Zym to that bad man. But then he came back, and he holding a knife out to Zym?

The knife clattered on the stone below. Callum tossed the small dragon up and suddenly a powerful gust was under him. His wings spread wide and he left the bad man and Callum behind. Ezran didn’t know where his mother was, but Zym did. He beat his wings and wiggled his legs, trying to go to her. He dared to look down and saw the mean elf running through the cliffs. Callum was still in the same spot. He was in a puddle of red, unmoving. Zym knew something was wrong but Ezran understood immediately. Callum was hurt bad. 

_Find your mom Zym. Find her and get help to Callum. Hurry, he needs it, he needs it right now._ Ezran twisted and turned in his bed, sending the message to Zym as loudly as he could. Callum helped Zym escape, now he needed to help Callum. Callum was hurt. He was bleeding and alone and…

Ezran shot awake. He connection with Zym was gone but the memories were sharp. He tried to regulate his breathing, but it only became more frantic. Eventually sobs took him. Maybe it was a dream. But it was all so real. Like when he needed to help Zym fly. And if it was real…

Callum really was hurt. There was so much blood, and he was so still. Maybe he was even…

Ezran turned into his pillow, letting the tears flow freely. Sleep didn’t come easy for him the rest of the night.

.

The following day, Ezran called a meeting for the first time. All joy had left the young king. His eyes were red and puffy from crying all night. He had lost his father and brother. Worse yet, he had encouraged his brother to go to his death. He didn’t know what happened to Rayla, but he liked to think she at least was okay. 

The room was silent. Ezran summoned them all there, but he didn’t know what to say, how to start. The council shot him pitiful looks, mixed with their own sorrow. They all seemed to sense what the meeting was about. Ezran’s optimism had turned to nervousness a while ago. But all that was left that morning was a sad king. 

“If… If Callum was hurt, is there any way we could help?” His voice was small and weak. He thought back to weeks ago, when he first got home. His advisors suggested they send someone into Xadia to try to get Callum back. They said that Ezran would regret not doing it. None of them looked like they were going to say they told him so, but Ezran still felt it. They did tell him so. And because he didn’t listen, Callum…

“I don’t see how we could,” Opeli looked around the room. People looked down, away, at anything but the grieving child king.

“We can’t,” Gren translated for Amaya. The words hurt, but Ezran couldn’t really expect anything different.

“Oh. Can we talk to the elves? Maybe we could ask them to help.” The image of Callum hurt and unmoving didn’t leave him. He saw it every time he closed his eyes. 

“We currently don’t have any lines of communication with them,” a councilman piped up.

“We should look into making one,” Gren translated. “We might be able to barter for him back.” He continued and Ezran’s eyes lit up.

“You think he’s still okay, and that they’ll send him back?” Amaya was smart. She knew everything about the stupid war, and if she thought they could get Callum back, then maybe she was right. Amaya sighed deeply. It looked like she might start crying again, and was trying to keep it together.

“Ezran, are you sure you want to be here for this? It might be best if you let us-” Gren started but Ezran didn’t let him finish.

“No! I need to be here for this. Callum is hurt and he needs me to make the right decisions. I’m not going anywhere,” maybe it was the hope that Amaya planted in him, maybe it was the dreams from the previous night. But Ezran refused to step back at a time like that.

Amaya’s eyes cracked with pain, but she continued.

“I don’t think he’s okay. I think he’s gone. But, he should be back here,” Ezran watched her hands move more than he listened to Gren. He tried to follow what she meant. “He should be laid to rest here, next to his mom,” the air was sucked out the room. They were talking about his body. The room was still, no one dared to speak. All eyes were on Ezran. The flicker of hope died and his blue eyes went numb for a moment. Just a moment.

He buried his face in his arms and started to cry once again.

.

Ezran stared down at the paper. A letter for Xadia, addressed to whoever the appropriate personnel may be. Ezran couldn’t bring himself to write it, but he couldn’t let them send just anything. 

_On June 18th the Katolian prince Callum was escorted into Xadia by an elven soldier named Rayla. He was on a peace mission to return the Dragon Prince, Azymondias. We expect a delegate on a peace mission to be well received and wish to inquire on his whereabouts and conditions. We request that such information be sent post haste._

It was neutral, non accusatory. Opeli said it was important not to suggest them of wrongdoing, even if everyone thought it. It didn’t make demands or push anyone towards war. It was the first letter to be sent to Xadia in a long, long time. Ezran rolled it up and dripped melted wax to form a seal. He pressed the official stamp of Katolis into it, signaling to all the world how important the letter was. 

He carried it to the crow master. There was no smile or brightness to him. The paper was small and cold, but he hoped that maybe, it could get him his brother back. Maybe alive, maybe not. Everyone said it was important to bring him back even if he really was gone. Ezran guessed they were right, but it still wouldn’t be okay. He wanted his brother back, not something to put under a statue of him.

.

When it came time to say goodbye, Ezran still wasn’t ready.

“But we haven’t heard back from Xadia yet.” Maybe Callum was okay. Maybe everything was fine and they just got caught up with something. He didn’t dare to say it outloud. He didn’t want to expose his hopes to the world anymore. For the adults to stare at him with pity. So he left it there.

“And we might never,” Opeli’s voice was soft. 

“We don’t know anything for sure. What if he…” He still couldn’t bring himself to say the words. To raise his hopes. Opeli took a seat next to him. The conference room was empty, save for the two of them. She acted much more gentle when it was just Ezran. More like a big sister than a powerful councilwoman.

“It makes things so much harder when there’s doubt. You can never know for sure, and that little piece of hope and hold you back. That’s why it’s better if we can get the remains. So we can fully say goodbye. But sometimes we can’t ever be totally sure. Situations like this very rarely have a good end. We need to say goodbye, even if we can’t be sure.” Her words stung with truth. Ezran stared at the paper and quill in front of him. He was tasked with writing a speech to say goodbye.

“You can say as much or as little as you want. But we need you to say something.” Her words were still soft. She got up and left him alone. 

He had so much to say to his brother. But this needed to be a speech to the people. Ezran didn’t want to do it. He wanted dad to it. He wanted Viren to do it. But neither could. Dad was dead, Viren was a traitor, and Ezran was king. He thought back to that dream. To how Callum helped save Zym, and made sure that he would be okay. Ezran wished that Callum could do that for him, come be his brother and just protect him from all the bad stuff in the world.

He wiped a stray tear from his eyes and begun writing.

_Callum,_

_You were such a great big brother. Sometimes you were a jerk, but you always admitted it later and did the jerk face dance. And then we met Rayla and had to take Zym home. It was scary at times, but you were always brave. And you figured out that you were really good with magic too, and you didn’t even have to do dark magic. I didn’t follow you because I hoped that I could do something here, but I guess I couldn’t. Maybe if I kept going, we both could have gotten home. Maybe if I acted sooner, we could have saved you. You were always a great big brother, but I guess I wasn’t the best little brother. I’m sorry for that. But I promise I’ll be the best king I can be. For you and for dad._

_I love you and I'm going to miss you,  
Ezran_

He wiped more stray tears away but his heart felt a little bit lighter. He rolled up the paper carefully and tied it shut. It wasn’t for the people. It was a letter just for Callum. Ezran pulled a new piece of paper free and set to work writing something for the people. 

.

Ezran dragged his legs towards the crow master. He just got done with a long, tiring meeting. It was far later than he would normally stay up. He wanted to go to sleep but he had one last thing to do. He had to check for mail. He already checked twice that day but one last time. Tomorrow was the funeral. One last chance before he says his final goodbyes to his brother.

He entered the room. He expected the crow master to give him the same sorry look as always. He didn't.

"My king, I hoped you would come," he shuffled around and grabbed a letter. The change in attitude caused all sleepiness to leave the boy. He ran to the desk and stared hopefully at the crow master. Opeli's warning rung through his head.

_Even if we get a letter back, it doesn't mean all is well._

Anything would be better than not knowing.

The crow master carefully rested a rolled up paper in front of the king. The seal was a light blue and had a dragon head with a lightning bolt. Ezran picked it up and wordlessly left the room. He bought it to his chambers before he dared to open it. He feared what it would say and he didn't want to break down in the castle halls.

With a deep breath he broke the seal and unfurled the paper. Before he even read the first word he saw that it was in his brothers scrawl. Relief flooded him and escaped as a sigh. The breath lead to joyous laughter as he read the letter.

_Hey Ezran,_

_At least I imagine that you be the one reading this. I really hope Corvus got you home alright. Rayla isn't worried about it, and she's usually good with this kind of stuff. I'll trust her that you're back home._

_I'm doing fine, so don't worry about me. And you can know it's me because only we know about the weapons grade food at the Banter Lodge. Zym's back home with his mom. He's grown a lot since you last saw him. He's even learning to talk a little bit. And he's also getting really good at flying. You'd be really proud. His mom is so thankful to have him back. I'm staying with them on top of a mountain. I'm working with his mom about a peace agreement so I might be a while. I hope you don't mind. I actually have to go talk with her right now, but Rayla also wants to say some stuff._

__

The handwriting suddenly changed as Rayla started to talk about their journey together. Callum had included sketches of various things, including odd fruits, Rayla holding a much bigger Zym, and a view from off of a mountain. Ezran chuckled as Rayla also included some sketches, which paled in comparison to his brother's.

Ezran fell asleep with the letter pressed to his chest. 

.

Ezran called a meeting early next morning. Much like his first meeting as king, he entered the room happily and with a smile on his face. The rest of the council was griefstruk. It was the day off Callum's funeral. It at least it was supposed to be. Ezran had every intention of cancelling it.

"A letter came in from Xadia last night," he said cheerfully. He threw the letter on the table and grinned as the council fought over it.

"Could it be faked?"

"They got his handwriting perfect if so. Even the sketches are just right."

"Maybe he was forced to write it?"

"He also included that detail about the Banter Lodge. He would include a lie if he was under duress. He knows to do that."

Ezran rolled his eyes as they picked at it. It was like they wanted the elves to hurt Callum. Anything to validate their mistrust. It wouldn't be easy to change their minds.

"Cancel the funeral, let the kingdom know that the elves didn't hurt Callum," Ezran commanded.

"Sir, is that wise? We don't know for sure that this letter in genuine," a councilman spoke up.

"It's in his handwriting, with his drawing, and with information only he knows. It's real guys. You've been doubting me this whole time but you were all wrong. Cancel the funeral and make the announcement," Ezran huffed with complete confidence. He still remembered his promise to Callum, the one he made when he thought he was dead. He was going to be the best king he could be. And when Callum gets back, he'll be the best brother he can be too.

"King's orders," he added and his council scrambled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Callum has a heck of a boo boo, and yet Ezran is getting letters from him saying that everything is fine? What could it mean??


	12. Dead

Rayla watched the bird with disbelief. All three of the Moonshadow warriors stopped their fighting to do so. It glided through the cliffs and rocks, out of sight. Callum didn't want her to leave him and he hated being alone. But there he was, flying away from her at such a critical time. When she needed to protect him.

"Well I'll be. Guess he can use sky magic," the man broke the silence. Rayla eyed them wearily. She needed to get to Callum, but the other two certainly wouldn't agree. "Caries, finish her off. I'm going to capture the human." He swiftly moved down the cliffs, in the direction Callum went.

The girl, Caries apparently, instantly went on the offensive. She was strong and fast. The Moonshadow wielded a spear and used it to keep Rayla at bay pretty effectively. Her twin blades just didn't have the reach nor did she have the speed.

But with the other one gone she could at least fully focus on her. She needed to get to Callum. If the other elf found him first, it would be the end. The elf was well fed and had a head start. Every second Rayla wasted fighting the other Moonshadow was a second lost.

But Caries was strong. She kept Rayla moving and constantly dodging. Maybe they had been trying to weaken them them all along by starving them and never allowing them to rest . It had worked. Rayla’s limbs were getting harder and harder to move. Her movements were slowing. What few offensive attacks she could try were getting easier to block and counter.

The spear would cut and pierce her deeper and deeper as it became harder to dodge. Her blood was starting to stain the rocks. It was only Rayla's blood, she hadn't managed to a land a single good hit on her opponent.

If she died there, Callum would be doomed. And she was going to die. She had more skill than her opponent, but she just wasn't physically able to use it. Rayla was going to be killed, and Suwin would be free to do as he wanted with Callum.

The other Moonshadow elf was cocky. She twirled her spear and pranced around, confident in the kill. She apparently had none of the moral dilemmas Rayla did. It was her pride that got her.

She left an opening. It was brief, but enough. Rayla took it. She sprung forward with all the speed she could and sliced. Her blades landed, digging deep and slicing long across the opponents lower abdomen. Her opponent stopped and the cocky smile fell from her face. Rayla was worried that she would have the energy to counter, but her spear clattered to the ground.

Blood poured out, onto Rayla's blades and even her chest. She hit a major artery. The girl was dead before she hit the ground. Blood continued to flow out and across the rocks. It covered the blood Rayla had lost and everything else. It dripped off the rocks and cliffs, and before she knew it, Rayla’s first victim was dead, all the life drained from her.

She needed to find Callum. She forced that thought to the front of her mind. She shoved down the image of the girl she killed, and what that said about Rayla. 

She needed to find Callum. She needed to find him right away. She wanted to scream at him for leaving her. But maybe it was for the best. The Moonshadow elves separated and when there was only one, she was able to…

She had to find Callum. Maybe the other didn’t get to him yet. Maybe he was still okay. That was all she needed to focus on. Not on the dead body she was leaving behind. If she didn’t find Callum, the death would be for nothing. 

Her muscles screamed, the cuts were deep. Her head spun from the blood loss and hunger. The other elf was a challenge. She didn’t have the luxury of using non-lethal tactics. Rayla’s opponent was cutting into her already starved flesh. She would have died. And if she died, Callum would surely die. So she took the opportunity when presented. One life to save two. Rayla didn’t have a choice. She had to focus. She had to find Callum. She was bleeding and wobbly but had to keep going.

She saw him. Suwin was there. Callum seemed okay, unscathed for the moment. Suwin wasn’t moving to hurt him, but was keeping a close eye on him. The other Moonshadow was nowhere to be seen. Hopefully he was gone. She didn’t know how much more she could ask of her body and another fight might just be too much.

She caught Callum’s eye and she signaled for him to transform. He didn’t acknowledge it but he was definitely staring at her. Hopefully he got the message. She crept closer, getting into a good position to bolt towards him. She couldn’t beat Suwin in a fight. Not on a good day and definitely not then. But maybe she could still outrun him. He was large and in bulky armor. He couldn’t navigate the narrow ledges and cliffs well.

She threw a rock to the side. The general’s attention jerked that way. She didn’t wait for him to realize what was happening. Callum didn’t either, thank the Moon, and he morphed into his easier to carry form instantly.

They were off. She didn’t waste time. She didn’t let her body have the rest it begged for. She needed to push herself. For Callum and for herself. For _them_. So she could move into Ezran’s old room, and they could live that happy life together.

She scaled a cliff to get some elevation. Suwin couldn’t climb, so that should put some good, immediate distance between them and him. Callum chirped from within her bag. He was staring at a cut in her side. It was pouring out new blood from her exertion, combining with the older dried blood all over her. A lot of it wasn’t her blood. It probably looked much worse than it really was.

“‘M fine. Just some cuts. Had worse.” The important thing was getting them out of there. She had Callum, now she just needed to get them out of there. She had to. She had-

Her bag jostled and Callum was airborne, gliding _back towards Suwin_.

“Callum!” She screamed. He left her, again. He flew away from her, seemingly hellbent on getting himself killed. This time he glided right in front of Suwin. Zym was there, she didn’t him notice before. Why was he there? Why did Callum jump in front of him? Blood was still dripping out of her wounds. She was tired, starved, and defeat rolled over her. She had to get Callum, but it all felt so… hopeless. He would leave again, jumping into enemies arms. Or they would find them together. Or they would just die from starvation and the cold.

She backtracked her steps, trying to get back to Callum. She had to keep going. She had to.

“Aspiro,” she heard when she was pulling herself back onto the ledge Callum was on. It took too much time, too much effort, to pull herself up. Her body was caving in. She had pushed it harder than she ever had before, and it was giving in. 

When she focused in on Callum again, the image didn’t make sense. At least not at first. He was looking up, watching Zym fly away. He looked peaceful, almost a little proud. Suwin was behind him, blade in his hand and straight through Callum’s chest. They were still for a moment, Rayla not quite able to process what had happened.

But then Suwin put a foot on his back and pulled the blade free. Callum crumbled and Suwin chased after Zym. Rayla’s eyes did not deceive her. Something horrible happened. She went to him as fast as she could. It still took too long with his weak she was. She stumbled, her legs were giving in. When she got to him, they gave up entirely. Part of her knew that she couldn’t do anything for him anyway.

He was alive, and instantly his green eyes locked onto hers. He was bleeding heavily from his chest. The blood kept flowing and flowing and just didn’t stop. She put a hand on it, hoping against hope to stem the bleeding.

He was gasping, wheezing, struggling to breathe. The wound missed his heart but went straight through a lung. He coughed and blood flowed from his mouth. He was dying. He was dying and she couldn’t do anything about it.

“Breathe Callum. You’re going to okay, but you gotta breath.” It was a lie. She knew it. He didn’t even seem to hear her. He was dying and she couldn't do anything about it. All she could do was beg for him to keep clinging to his fading life.

There was one last forced gasp and then silence. No more struggled breaths. The wind struck them. Her, and his dead body. She clenched his bloodied shirt and stared into dying- dead green eyes. Empty and gone. She found herself rocking back and forth, holding him to her chest. Her mind was blank. Something in her broke, and all her motivation to keep moving left. There was nowhere to go anymore.

He loved her. They were going to be together. They were going to go back to Katolis and be a family. She was going to move into Ezran's old room and be with him. He was good. He was better than anyone else she had ever met. He was sweet, and kind and just and funny and-

He was dead. She rubbed his face and it was already cooling in the mountain air. What was she going to do?

Zym was back, she barely noticed. He licked at Callum's face, whining. 

“Zym, stop,” she was surprised by how weak her voice was. She rested a hand on the small dragon. He was still whining, licking Callum, begging him to get up. 

There was the sound of more wings around her. Rayla couldn't really bring herself to care. Callum was gone and she didn't care what happened to her. She just didn't want to leave him, not yet. She held him closer, needing him. They were going to be together. They were going to be happy.

There were big wings and the sounds of a large beast landing. Zym was curled against Callum's chest. He had given up trying to wake him after his zappy kisses hadn't worked.

Rayla looked up, meeting the gaze of giant, brilliant blue eyes. The Dragon Queen, Zym's mom. Zym ran to her, crying and whining. Her storm blue eyes fell to the body between them. Rayla spoke.

“This is Callum… He bought your son home. And he gave his life…” She couldn't finish it. The sobs took over. They took over her lungs and chest and killed any other words she wanted to say. Her gaze fell back to said boy. Her stupid, sweet, brave human. Her dead human.

The queen growled. Teeth were bared and she released an enraged roar. It shook the mountains and the air itself seemed to still. There were other elves around, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about them either. The queen’s gaze returned to Callum and the mighty beast spoke. 

“Vivet.” Blue lights appeared, forming a rune. The air seemed to crackle and Rayla could feel the powerful magic swell. More powerful than any spell a human or elf could cast. The light rushed to Callum and into the hole in his chest.

Her lover gasped once again. Unlike the struggling, failed breathe before, that one was deep and full. Color that she didn't realize left his face rushed back. Life filled his eyes once again. She put a hand once again on his chest, feeling his heart thrumming away. Zym yipped happily. A laugh escaped Rayla and she pat the little dragon.

“A third miracle from you,” Rayla thanked the little dragon. The Queen Dragon grumbled, pleased. “Callum, Callum are you awake?” She begged him to speak. She needed him. She needed him in her life. He blinked briefly, but his eyes shut and his head lulled to the side. Alive, but unconscious.

“Is he alive?”

“Did she just bless him?” 

Rayla started to pay attention to the Skywing elves around. The keepers, most likely. One women kneeled down, inspecting Callum.

“We should get him inside,” she said. Rayla didn't realize how tightly she had been holding him. She didn't want to let him go. Not now that she could feel him breath, his heart beating.

"Come on, we can take you too.” A couple of elves knelt down. They lifted Callum up, while another helped Rayla rise. She tried to stand on her own but to her surprise her legs collapsed. She was spent.

"Let me help," the elf chided her, holding her once again. Rayla didn't fight it that time and the Skywing guide her along the winding path. Weakly, she reached out and grabbed Callum's hand. It was warm.

.

"Orders from the queen, she wants the human in the top floor of Hail Lodge."

"Wait, in the lookout? Is there even a bed in there?"

"If there isn't, bring one in. Queen is pissed, so let's not test her. What the fuck happened back there?"

"How should I know?"

"Where should we put the other one?" Rayla sensed they were talking about her. She was idly listening to them. She had to be carried and didn't even bother to keep her eyes open. As long as she was holding Callum's hand, she was happy.

"Keep me with him. We don't like to be apart," she chimed in.

"Holy shit? You're still awake?"

"I kinda thought she died."

"'M not dead," Rayla protested. Granted, she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes and her mind was pretty fuzzy. But she was definitely still alive.

“Think we should keep them together?” They started to ask amongst themselves.

“Yes,” Rayla once again groaned. “If you don’t, I’m going to have to get up and go to him. And if I need to do that, I’m going to hurt you when I’m better.”

“Moonies and your threats. Alright, put them together.” Rayla smiled. She was still holding onto Callum’s hand and felt the life pulse through it. That was her only concern at the moment.

.

True to their word, they kept them together. The room wasn’t meant to be a bedroom. It was open, taking up the entire floor. Windows made up most of the walls and large doors opened to even larger balconies. There was a sense of privacy though, if only for the elevation and isolated location of the cabin. 

They brought in a bed and commented about finding another. Rayla eased herself down beside it. She watched carefully as the elves carrying Callum laid him down. He hadn't woken, hadn't even roused. She rested her chin on the bed and pressed her face against his neck. So warm. So alive. He loved her like she loved him so there wasn't anything wrong in planting a gentle kiss on his neck. The Skywing elves didn't say anything, but stayed for a moment before leaving. One Skywing girl lingered by the door, serving as a guard. She thankfully didn't comment about their closeness.

Her muscles finally got the chance to relax. It made her realize just how painful everything was. She didn’t bother to check her injuries though. She was still watching Callum, taking peace in the gentle rise and fall of his chest. 

“What happened?” She asked, because she was pretty sure that he died. He was stabbed through a lung, he bled out, stopped breathing, and went cold. He was dead.

“The queen blessed him,” a skywing girl said, staring at said boy.

“He was dead.” Rayla reached out and grabbed his wrist once again. She liked to feel the gentle thump of his pulse. It was warm.

“And the queen brought him back. Dragons have powerful magic.” They did, Rayla knew that. But she didn’t think they were that powerful. She didn’t think that was even within the realm of magic.

“Why?” Why kill him, just to bring him back?

“Good question. What was he doing up there anyway?” The skywing girl asked, looking at Rayla intently. Rayla didn’t bother to return the stare.

“We were trying not to get caught. Suwin and his men were hunting us and that’s where we ended up.”

“Suwin…” the Skywing trailed off before shaking her head. “Something happened. The human was suppose to be a guest. It was the queen’s orders. Treat him kindly and give him safe passage home when he desires it. That’s what she said. But Suwin said that he wanted to stay, and then he was locked away from a week. Then he went missing, Suwin was in a panic, saying that the human was going to attack. But he refused Skywing help to search for him. And then this…”

Rayla snorted, though she immediately regretted the movement when pain shot through her. “Sounds like Suwin tricked you all. Callum was always a prisoner to him. Didn’t let him go home, interrogated him, tortured him. Then Callum got loose and he had to cover his tracks. Not sure what he was trying to do at the end, but he’s the one that… hurt Callum.” She didn’t want to say that he _killed_ Callum. Callum was alive, afterall.

The Skywing was quiet for a moment before mumbling something about talking with the queen. Rayla felt like she was suppose to stay with them, to guard them. But she enjoyed the brief privacy. She closed her eyes once again and rubbed Callum’s wrist with her thumb.

A door opened and the moment was once again ruined. It was another Skywing, but an older man. A doctor, judging by his bags.

“This must be Prince Callum. And you are his bodyguard I take it,” the doctor’s dark eyes flitted towards her. Bodyguard. It wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Rayla,” she grunted. Talking hurt.

“Try not to bleed to death. I really should treat the patient with a hole in his chest first,” he moved to Callum’s side and Rayla couldn’t object. His voice was gentle. She hoped his hands would be too. Callum had already seen too much abuse. Her mind was still fuzzy but she recalled his injury in vivid enough detail. He was dead, completely. No warmth, no breath, no pulse. Just a hole in his chest. But now he was alive. She knew dragon magic was powerful, but she didn't think it could bring back the dead.

“I think that he would appreciate some privacy.” The doctor eventually said, looking at her. She tensed at his words. She wasn’t leaving. They got separated too many time already. She wasn’t leaving him again.

“I think he would appreciate me making sure no one else puts a blade through his chest,” her words were sharp. She wasn’t leaving. Not even the Dragon Queen herself could call her out of the room. His pulse was beating faintly between her fingers. It was the only thing she needed right then.

“If I may ask, are you two…” he trailed off, eye flickering between them. It was a good question. One that Rayla didn’t care to explain the full answer to.

“Aye. Something like that anyway.” She reflected on his words, his touches. He said he loved her, wanted her to follow him back to Katolis. Stay there with him, be with him. She felt his pulse, reminding herself that the dream was still alive. He was still alive. No, alive _again_.

The doctor was silent, but accepted that he would work on Callum with an audience. He freed some scissors from his bag and started to cut Callum’s top. She watched his hands carefully, not fully trusting him. She liked that top on Callum, she thought idly. She would need to get him new elven garb. It looked much better than the human stuff he was wearing before. Skywing outfits suited him well.

Then she saw the hole. It was deep. Of course it was deep, it went straight threw him. She could see skin and muscle and bone and she fought back gagging. She looked away. The wound was lethal. He died from it. She choose to focus on his pulse. It was somehow still there. The doctor worked on the cut, wiping away the blood. There was no new blood, but an odd blue leaked from it. It sparkled and shone like Zym’s scales. 

“It’s the Queen’s blessing. It is by her will that his body can mend. If he so chooses,” the doctor must have noticed Rayla watching him. He started doing the sutures and the wound was looking better. Still bad, but not necessarily lethal. At least no bone showed.

“If he chooses? How? He’s asleep,” she didn’t like how he included that qualifier.

“Do you mind helping me get him on his side?” He asked, ignoring her question. She helped, and she kept him in position while the doctor worked on his back wound. She took the time to explore his exposed chest. Something that she would probably have enjoyed more if not for the circumstances. That or the horrible wound.

“The Queen can mend the body, but his soul has already left,” the doctor got around to her question. She frowned at the notion.

“So, how do we get his soul back?” The doctor scoffed at the notion.

“We can’t do anything, I’m afraid. But he can choose to return to his body, or to pass onto death. This is like keeping the lights on in a home,” He gestured to Callum. To his body. Rayla refused to consider the idea that he wasn’t going to make it. He had been teetering on death for so long. He had overcome death. All he had to do was choose to not be dead now?

The doctor finished with his back, and they moved him into a lying position. “Now, I should see to your injuries as well.” She was willing to move to a chair for it, but didn’t let go of Callum’s wrist. She wasn’t going to let him leave her sight.

She took off her armor and tried to shake off being uncomfortably exposed to the doctor. He went to work on a cut on her arm. She tried not to think of the dead Moonshadow she left in the cliffs. Her comrade that she cut down.

“So he just chooses to not be dead? Easy as that?” She focused on Callum once again.

“Hm, yes and no. Yes, all he needs to do is to choose to live. But, things are different from the other side. Or so I’ve heard. This hasn’t happened since Thunder blessed Lord Gilwing.”

“Different how?” She didn’t really care about this Gilwing fellow.

“The living want to live. But the dead want to rest. To the dead, living is like dying.” She followed, somewhat.

“But he would be leaving me and his brother. He wouldn’t want to do that.” Quite simply, he had too much to live for.

“Maybe. Maybe not. Things are different on the other side.” Rayla felt like she wasn’t going to get much of an answer from him. She supposed that he probably didn’t know. It’s not like she knew much about the afterlife or disembodied souls either.

“This Gilwing, is he still around?” She vaguely wondered if he could help explain. Maybe there was something she could do.

“I’m afraid not, no. He died with Thunder. It was actually quite interesting, because he wasn’t involved in the battle at all. He died spontaneously, across Xadia, when Thunder died. Some even say that a crack of thunder was heard when it happened.” Rayla didn’t care too much about such rumors. Beyond Gilwing being dead, nothing there was useful.

“So how do I get Callum to choose to live?” He finished working on her cuts. She opted not to put her armor back on. She would need some time to recover before she could even hope to fight. Instead she stayed in her under armor clothes and moved back to Callum’s side. She again held his wrist, feeling his pulse. It was something, at least.

“I’m not sure. Maybe you could talk to him? Remind him why he should stay?” He offered. It seemed like he was saying it more to help Rayla feel useful than actually do anything. She again rested her face against his exposed shoulder. Warm. Alive.

“What are his chances?” Rayla pressed him.

“This isn’t exactly a common condition,” the doctor responded and she scowled.

“So how many times has it failed?” She continued to pry and doctor furrowed his brows.

“I don’t know of it ever failing,” he admitted and Rayla’s heart was put at ease. A perfect success rate was pretty agreeable to her, even if there wasn’t much to go off of. Happy with the answer she was ready to move on.

“He broke his leg. We got a doctor to set it, but he’s morphed since then.” Though a broken leg seemed minor compared a skewered lung. 

“That’s concerning. How old is the break? How often has he morphed?” The doctor ran his fingers across the cast. 

“About a week, maybe ten days now? He’s morphed a lot,” she tried to list off the details. But adrenaline was running low and truthfully her eyelids were starting to get heavy.

The doctor was quiet for a long moment. “We’ll let it heal. When Skywings morph it moves bones around. It’s fine if they are healthy. But sometimes things get off if there are broken bones. But there isn’t much to be done, sadly. It won’t threaten his life, at least.” The doctor finished and Rayla had to agree with the sentiment. After watching him die, she just wanted him to live. 

“If anything comes up, send for me. A guard should be here…” he murmured the last part mostly to himself before leaving. Rayla watched him with lazy, tired eyes.

Her and Callum hadn’t had much time together, but they were still mates. She reminded herself that as she pulled herself up and into the bed. It was, luckily, large enough for two.

“Ezran needs you, you know.” Her words were soft, she mumbled them into his ear. Callum didn’t respond, not even a flinch. “He just lost his dad. He doesn’t have his mum. He only had you. You can’t leave him alone. I need you too, you know.” She planted a kiss on his neck. It was, apparently, all she could do.

His letter to Ezran burned from inside her pocket and she tried not to think about the possibility that the spell could fail. She hadn't read it, nor did she ever want to. She hated that it existed at all. But it would be her duty to deliver it if Callum didn't pull through.


	13. Stay

Rayla dreamed of the girl she killed. Caries, she recalled the name. She was deathly pale with dull eyes and a gaping wound on her side. She wailed and cried and screamed at Rayla. She killed her. She killed one of her own people. All for a human. She ended a life. Who was she to end that life?

When Rayla woke up, she was being nudged by the doctor. Her body protested the thought of moving and she instead nestled deeper into the blankets and warm body beside her.

“Come on, we have a bed for you. I don't need my patients kicking each other in their sleep.” Rayla dared to open her eyes, just to glare at the doctor. She would be happy for Callum to sleep kick her. He hadn’t moved at all since… She shook the thought off and focused on the present.

Rayla surveyed the room, the people in it, and her memories from the past night. Callum was beside her in the bed, still comatose. The doctor was staring over the two of them, mildly frustrated. A Skywing guard was beside the door. And halfway across the room was a pile of rocks. Or at least what she thought was a pile of rocks at first glance.

But then she caught sight of vibrant green eyes. Then she saw the wings. It was a rock dragon, a little smaller than a horse. It snorted at her when she looked at it for too long.

“What's with our new friend?” Rayla asked as she made her way over to her bed.

“He's Terra Seneca,” the Skywing woman guarding the door answered. “The queen is furious about what happened to the human. She's not willing to trust any elf, and demands that he have a dragon guard,” she explained. Rayla hummed, relieved someone seemed to be on their side for once.

“He could use him, after everything he’s been though.” She sat up and waited for the dizziness to subside. “I could do with some food,” she griped. Just how much blood did she lose?

Less than she spilled. The image of the dead body she left still clung to her mind.

“We can get you something to eat,” the Skywing said before calling to someone down the hallway. Rayla picked at her sheets, unsure of how to ask her next question. Her wounds were cleaned and bandaged, with stitches as needed. She was alive and healing. The other Moonshadow was not. She was dead. A rotting body, left to be picked over birds. She didn’t deserve that. It wasn’t much, but Rayla had to make sure she got a proper funeral.

“Two other Moonshadow elves found us. A man and a woman. I don’t know what happened to the guy but…” she looked askance at the Skywing. Her dark eyes were questioning, but some understanding flickered there too. “Did you find her?” she asked with bitterness. Not towards her fallen comrade. The bitterness was towards herself. She was the killer.

“Yes. She didn’t make it, if that’s what you’re asking.” The Skywing added carefully. Rayla already knew that.

“I wasn’t expecting her to. But she shouldn’t be left there. She needs a proper end. A warrior’s funeral,” Rayla added with some passion. Caries died in battle, fighting for what she believed in. Rayla knew Caries’ cause was wrong, but she couldn’t hold it against her. Just a few months ago, she was going to kill Ezran. Caries was just another victim of the war.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Were you two close?” The Skywing’ voice was full of pity. Rayla shook her head.

“No. I never met her before. But she still deserves better.” She tried to explain. The Skywing seemed confused.

“But you’re an assassin? Shouldn’t you… Ah, nevermind,” she seemed to think better about prying. Rayla was thankful. She didn’t want to explain all the reasons why she did something awful. 

“We apprehended the other Moonshadow. Turned out he was her brother. He is building a funeral pyre and preparing a funeral. Should be ready in a few hours. Do you think you’ll want to be there,” the Skywing asked. Rayla considered it.

“Yeah, I think so,” she looked toward Callum. He would be safe there. They just needed to wait for him to wake up. Ths Skywing shifted, discomforted by something or another.

“You might want to be careful then. The brother doesn’t like you.”

“I don’t suppose he would.”

“He’s in custody. Disarmed and shackled, he can’t do much. But be careful, you moonies can be fast and brutal. I’ll check on that food and find you some proper clothes,” she said as she slinked out the door. Rayla looked over to Callum and smiled weakly. At least the death wasn’t for nothing.

.

After a brief nap and some stew, Rayla was ready to meet Caries. She got up slowly, her muscles ached and screamed. But she could walk. She was alive, and Caries was dead. She would live a life that she deprived another of. She could walk.

“Please don’t tear any stitches,” the doctor warned. Rayla ignored him, and instead planted a gentle kiss on Callum’s forehead.

“You better be awake when I get back,” she softly warned him.

Outside, she found herself in a similar landscape. Cliffs and rocks with little in the way of plant life. The chill cut deeper than in Sky Keep City. Unlike the cliffs from the previous day, they were on a plateau with various cabins scattered about. A final peak rose to met the sky just east of the cabins. And on the peak clung a blue dragon. The Dragon Queen.

Staring off the cliffs was… everything. Mountains, forests, lakes, everything for as far as the eye could see. It was Dragon’s peak, and you really could see all of Xadia from it. The queen moved from her post, slinking off of the peak with more stealth and grace than Rayla could have expected. Soon, the mighty beast was staring down at her with piercing blue eyes.

“My queen,” Rayla fell to one knee, but instantly winced as her wounds protested. Zym appeared, trotting up happily to her and licking her hand.

“Hey there wee one, I’m happy to see you again,” she petted the familiar mane, but a sudden rush of embarrassment hit her. Zym was a prince, and she was in the presence of the queen. “Eh, my prince,” she bowed deeper, hoping to recover. The queen huffed, something that sounded vaguely like a chuckle.

“Rise, young elf,” the queen spoke, which surprised Rayla somewhat. Dragons had their own language, and didn’t often learn the common tongue. Still, she obeyed and slowly got up without hurting herself too much. “What is your name?”

“Rayla, your highness,” she was still unsure how to address her queen. Hell, she wasn’t sure if her queen was going to sentence her to death or not. 

“And you are the one that guarded Callum?” She asked with a small growl. Rayla flinched. Being in front of the politically and physically powerful dragon took a lot of wind out of her sails. Not that she regretted her actions. Just that she had come to fear the consequences.

“Aye. Ever since he decided to return our prince. And after,” she added with whatever courage she could scrounge up.

“You were sent to kill prince Ezran, to avenge my mate and child. You did not, and instead you brought a human here,” Rayla dared to look up, and her queen’s eyes pierced her soul. She took a breath. She didn’t regret any of it.

“Your child lived, and I saw no reason to avenge him. And… I thought better of revenge altogether. Why should we kill the children of people who wronged us? We should make peace, so no one else has to die.” Rayla spoke. She fully believed in the words, but she didn’t necessarily believe they would save her. The opposite, in fact. 

“And you decided this on your own, in the middle of a mission?” the queen hummed. Zym nuzzled her hand and she stroked his face.

“Yes, your highness,” she didn’t regret any of it. Just how it turned out.

“I commend you,” Rayla blinked, not sure what to make of it.

“Your highness?” She was so certain she was about to be punished. Possibly killed.

“You did the right thing, even when you were not supposed to. When you had no reason to, and every reason not to, you still did good. It is commendable. It is the reason I brought the human prince back. He returned my child to me, and even gave his life to save him. He is a human prince, we are at war. My mate killed his mother, and I caused the death of his father. We made an orphan of him. And yet he saved my child.” Part of Rayla was relieved, but the greater part of her was forced to reflect on the situation. She blink a few tears away thinking about the matter.

“My people abused and slaughtered him in response. They even tried to kill my child.” Her eyes moved towards Zym and love flooded them. “I thought that humans were corrupt creatures, and elves would defend the world from them. I realize I was wrong. Corruption doesn’t follow such clean lines. Humans can be good, and elves can be evil.”

“Thank you,” it was the only thing Rayla could think to say. It was exactly the message Callum wanted to share. The queen grumbled.

“You wanted to watch them burn the one you killed. You should go now,” the queen nuzzled Zym before spreading her huge wings and rising into the sky. Zym yipped and tried to follow suit, albeit clumsy. Rayla smiled weakly and moved towards the stack of logs.

There she was. Clean, and free of any blood. Her hair had braids with ornate pieces in it, with one braid seemingly cut off. She had been prepared following Moonshadow traditions. Most likely by her brother. Rayla tried not to look at him from across the unlit pyre. Instead her gaze moved to the deep, dry gashes in Caries side. Her lethal wounds, the ones that didn’t magically repair themselves. Rayla found herself glad her brother was there and alive. At least she was prepared following customs, and would receive the end suited for their people.

She forced herself to look at the others in attendance for the first time. Mostly it was Skywings and dragons. None of them seemed sad by her death. She was a traitor to the Dragon Queen. But there was one that stood out. A man with short silver hair and hard golden eyes. He was weaponless and shackled. Flames beegun to catch the wood as she moved towards him.

“I’m sorry,” Rayla said plainly. She didn’t expect forgiveness. Not before seeing him, and certainly not after seeing the way he looked at her. Like a murderer. She was one. She looked at Caries’ face as the flames started to take her. 

“I hate you,” it was his only reply. She expected it. It still hurt.

“I know,” she replied instantly. They stared for another moment. Neither had anything else to say. Eventually, when the flames danced far overhead she left Caries and her brother. She was a murderer.

She hoped that Callum would be awake when she returned. He wasn’t.

“So when's he's going to wake up?” She asked the doctor with some frustration. It wasn’t that she was mad at him, but she really needed some comfort. Hell, she would take some cheesy jokes, anything to help her deal with what she did. At least Zym was willing to follow her into the cabin and offer whatever support he could. The doctor instead ignored her question, and started up with his own.

“Your friend, would you call him angry?” The doctor swirled around, looking at Rayla. He was at a desk across the room. It was scattered with books and papers. She snorted at the thought.

“He can get a wee bit grumpy with too much teasing. But he's not the angry sort, no.”

“Passionate, feisty?”

“He's passionate about bringing peace. Not much of a fighter, if that's what you're asking.” Rayla concluded and the doctor turned back to his papers.

“I feared that was the case. The spell only works on would be restless spirits. Spirits that have strong ties to this world.” He started mumbling more to himself. Another Skywing appeared with a bowl of stew, but her appetite had faded fast. Zym made his home laying against Callum’s side. He clearly knew something was wrong with the boy.

“So, you don’t think he’ll make it?” The Skywing, Luiris, asked the question Rayla feared. The doctor shook his head. Rayla couldn’t process the thought of being alone. That she killed Caries for nothing.

“This spell has very rarely been used. But the person has always come back fast. The longest delay was only half an hour, while it’s been twelve hours for the prince. It’s not looking good.” Rayla tried to ignore their words. 

“Shit.” It was all that came from Luiris . “Moonshadow, the new King of Katolis. What do you think he’ll make of this?” Rayla frowned at the question. Ezran would be devastated. How would she tell him? Her hand moved to her pocket, to Callum’s letter. Callum had seen his death coming, and had at least prepared some words for his younger brother.

“It would destroy him. They are so close.” Grief was heavy in her voice. Luiris gave her a sad stare back.

“Do you think we could do anything? He came proposing peace, and we killed him,” Luiris continued. Rayla clenched at the sheets. A wave of rage hit her because she was completely right. Callum was _good_. He only wanted peace and they fucking killed him. “Suwin acted on his own. The queen wants to explore peace, but… Well, would the humans still be open to it?” She finished her question. Rayla stared at Callum’s still form. Breathing, but empty.

“I don’t know. Ezran is kind and forgiving. But this…” Truthfully, she didn’t know if she could forgive them, and she was an elf.

“We’ll gather up as many of the people responsible as we can get. We’ll offer them to Katolis and say that they acted without the queen’s approval. And hopefully that’ll be enough.” The Skywing continued scheming. Rayla found herself snarling at the conversation. Callum was dying and Luiris’ concern was apparently damage control.

“I can’t see Ezran going for that. Killing more people won’t bring his brother back,” she didn’t like to imagine a vengeful Ezran sentencing dozens to execution. Maybe he would, but she hoped not. However if Callum died, Ezran might turn into a bitter king. If he died.

“It would, at the very least, distance us from them and their actions,” she explained. Rayla shrugged. She didn’t care to think about revenge, not then.

“Are you really that sure he isn’t going to make it?” She asked the doctor. She was more interested in her comatose lover than future diplomatic relations.

“I can’t say for sure, but no one had ever taken this long to come back. I’m not optimistic.” He said gently. “He just doesn’t have any reason to stay.” Rayla pressed her lips together, musing on his words. Callum had plenty of reasons to stay. The previous night, he told her to talk to him, so she did.

“You need to stay for Ezran. Think of how heart broken he’ll be. He’ll be alone without you.” All four sets of eyes were on her, but she didn’t feel deterred.

“Tell Calkin to gather wood for a coffin. Enchant it to preserve the body too,” Luiris spoke softly to someone outside the room. Rayla’s gut clenched but she refused to give in. He came back. He is alive. They are safe. He can’t just die there. He can’t.

“You need to stay for the sake of peace too. If you die here, I don’t think anyone will be wanting peace with anyone. It’ll just fuel the war.” She held his wrist once again, feeling the pulse gently beat. The rest of the elves talked amongst themselves about when he was expected to pass and how to best bring it up to Katolis officials. Rayla griped Callum’s wrist harder, willing him back into the world.

“You need to stay for me too, you know. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”

 

.

Callum was home. He couldn't remember exactly how or when, but he was home, back in the castle. He walked through the hallways, looking for… anyone, really. It was barren and empty. Clean and well lit, obviously cared for and maintained. But then everyone just left.

Despite being empty, it was nice. He finally felt safe and relaxed. Why hadn't he felt like that in so long? What happened to him? No memories came to him, but he wasn't worried about it. It was okay, he knew that. 

He walked the familiar and gentle halls, making his way to his bedroom. It was dark outside. He sensed it was late, and he was tired. More than ready for bed 

He passed by his parents room. He rounded a corner and finally saw someone. A familiar face, one that he missed so much.

“Mom!” He was hugging her. She smelled just like he remembered. Why had it been so long since he saw her?

“Oh Callum, I've missed you so much.” Her voice was gentle and soothing and her smile was so soft. They were the same height, which struck Callum as odd. Usually he had to hug her waist.

“I've missed you. Ezran has gotten so much bigger since you left.” He had so much to tell her. Years worth of stuff. Why had it been so long since he saw her?

“I know, I've been watching over him. Over both of you.” She ruffled his hair before pushing him away from her and he just beamed at her.

“You've grown into a young man.” Her eyes were happy, yet sad. “Too young.” Her hands hovered around his shoulders. He didn't understand what she meant.

"Though I wish you talked more about me to Ezran." She gently chided him as they started walking again. It's true, Ezran didn't remember her at all. It hurt him too much to tell stories about her but because of that Ezran hardly knew anything about her.

"I'm sorry Mom. I guess it just never came up," was his lame excuse. She gave him a stare, clearly showing that she saw through him.

"My poor baby has been through so much. Both of you have." She spoke sadly, stopping in front of Ezran's door.

Muffled sobs escaped the room. It sounded like Ezran crying. Not the kind of crying like he had a bad dream though. They were deep, pained wails that filled the hallways.

Callum entered the room and Sarai followed close behind. Ezran was in bed, apparently awoken by something awful. His chest shook with uncontrolled sobs and his eyes were red from crying. There was another figure in the room.

“Harrow,” the name slipped from Callum's lips. The King was watching Ezran cry, his own face reflecting the deep pain. He looked at Callum and his expression softened.

“So it's true.” His stepfather focused on him and wrapped him in a hug. “It's nice to see again you son.” Callum returned the hug. He was relieved to see his step dad. For whatever reason, Callum was worried he wouldn't be there when he got home.

“Dad,” Callum said the title that he had always been unsure about. Harrow tightened his hug. Ezran’s wails died down into sobs, muffled by a pillow. “What's wrong? What happened?” He didn't know if he was asking Ezran or his parents. Some part of him knew Ezran wouldn't respond to him. He couldn’t, for whatever reason.

“He has lost so much, so quickly.” Harrow answered, resting an arm around Callum's shoulder. Sarai moved to his other side. Together, they watched Ezran cry.

“It's okay Ez. Whatever it is, it's okay,” he tried to comfort his brother, but his words fell on deaf ears. Ezran didn't even acknowledge him, or their parents. He thought hard, trying to figure out why Ezran was crying. Callum's chest tightened and faint memories started to come to him. Of his mother's death. Of Harrow's death. Of his death. He looked at Ezran, whimpering into a pillow.

“Oh.” He brushed a hand against his own chest. Something about that spot on his chest meant something. But nothing was there. What happened to him? He hugged his mom. 

“Shhh, it's okay Callum.” Sarai rubbed his back and Harrow joined in on the hug. “It happens to everyone. And it's nice to have you back.” Truthfully, it was nice to have her back. And dad too. Maybe it wasn't exactly how he envisioned it, but he was back home.

“Ezran is strong. It will hurt, but he will overcome.” Ezran was once again sleeping, fidgeting and sniffling occasionally. Harrow led him to the window and pulled back the curtains. 

It was day. There was a young man standing in front of a crowd, a sea of red and gold. He called the crowd to be quite, and they obeyed. He spoke, but Callum couldn't hear the words. He opted to stare at the man instead. At his brother, grown into an adult body with a crown around his head. A king, as gracious and kind as his father. He stepped away from the window, back into the dim room.

Callum sent the sleeping child Ezran one last worried look before they all left the room. He would be okay. It would hurt, but Ezran was strong. Dad was right.

“And one day, he'll join us,” mom added. The thought was nice. They could all be a family again.

“You've had such a long journey. You were so brave and noble. I'm proud of you Callum,” his dad smiled at him and Callum couldn't help but grin at the praise.

“You would have been truly a great man, if you had the time,” mom squeezed his shoulder and Callum basked in the praise.

“I wish I could stay with Ezran, just a little bit longer. Just to help him become king,” Callum vented frustration. Ezran would be okay, but it wouldn’t be easy for him. If Callum could stay a little bit longer, he could help so much.

“I know, it’s hard. I wish I could have been with him longer too. I wish that you could have been there for him when I could not,” Callum met his step father’s eyes and sudden guilt hit him. Harrow shook his head. “It is not your fault Callum. You died so that the hope of peace could live,” Harrow smiled at him. How did Callum die? He couldn’t remember exactly. But he did remember that it was doing something important.

“Still, it is hard to leave when there are loose ends,” his father rested a hand on Callum’s shoulder. “Viren had been corrupted, and my assassin is trapped. He will never face justice or find peace.” Callum wanted to ask more, but before he knew it, they were in front of Viren’s room. Harrow opened the door and lead them inside.

It was Viren’s room, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Harrow went to a chest and pushed it aside. Under it was a loose floorboard. He liberated a small pouch from the floor.

“What is it?” Callum asked wearily. Dark mage involve all kinds of odd, sometimes gross things. Instead, his dad pulled out coins.

“Lost souls,” he explained sadly. He handed one to Callum. He inspected in, looking at a still image of a terrified Moonshadow elf. 

“But… how?” He tried to make sense of it. Harrow shook his head.

“I don’t know. I never liked dark magic and I never learned much of it. But each coin contains the soul of a person who crossed Viren. They met a dark side to him, one that he hid from me.” Callum didn’t know what to say. So he just looked at the man in the coin. His father continued.

“Viren has been discovered and imprisoned. Without him, all these souls will be forgotten, forever trapped.” Callum put the coin back in the bag, and it was hidden once again.

Harrow opened the curtain to reveal Viren, trapped in a cell. He was angrily yelling at no one about how they abandoned them. Callum shuddered when he paused and responded to someone who wasn’t there.

“What’s wrong with him?” Callum muttered. Had dark magic driven him mad?

“He is corrupted. I cannot see it clearly, but he seems to be working with someone. Dark magic ties them together, and I afraid of what this will mean for Ezran,” Harrow’s eyes were far away, lost in the possible futures of his son. Callum frowned. Maybe Ezran wouldn’t be okay.

“Is there anything we can do?” He asked, trotting up beside his dad as they left the room.

“I’m afraid not. But it’s not the worst thing. Great things can come from bad. You discovered the dragon egg only because they sent assassins. It might seem bad, but we cannot know what good might come of it.” Callum still looked weary. Harrow shook his head.

“Leave it to the living son. That’s all I’m saying,” he added.

“I guess so,” Callum tried to accept his words. They rejoined his mother down the hall.

“Now, you must be tired. Why don't you rest a bit?” His mom smiled at him and they walked away from Ezran’s room. He'd join them, one day, and they could be a family again. It would be nice. 

“Rest sounds... _really_ nice.” He was so tired. His parents smiled before walking down the hallway, towards their own room. He watched them disappear before turning to look at the door to his own room. Ezran would be okay, and Callum was so tired.

A shadow flew by, a new presence. She stood between him and his room. An elf with long silver hair and determined purple eyes. Two blades glinted in the moonlight. Moonshadow assassins. That's how dad died, he remembered. There were Moonshadow assassins in the castle.

He backed away slowly. Her lavender eyes followed his every moment. She was so familiar. Who was she?

“Stay,” she growled. He didn't. He turned and ran away from her. He didn't think that she was giving chase because he didn't hear anything but then she was right beside him. She was fast and completely silent. He couldn't outrun her.

He studied her face, the curves and edges, the purple markings below her eyes. He had drawn her a hundred times. She was important, special. Who was she?

He narrowly dodged one of her blades, and it wedged itself into the wall. It made her stop in her tracks and he used the precious time to put distance between them. He needed to get to his room. If he could just get inside his room, he would be safe.

He looped around the hallway, trying his best to avoid the assassin. He saw the door to his room and honed in on it. He was so close.

“Stay!” Her voice echoed from behind. He sped up. His door was so close. His hand brushed the knob.

She was behind him. Her hand gently held his wrist. Her fingers were on his pulse. One of her swords was straight threw his chest. He looked down and saw the glinting metal, dripping with his own blood.

“Stay,” her word was a plea, a choked sob in his ear. Rayla.


	14. Awake

“You need to stay, or else I’ll kill you,” Rayla muttered to the sleeping boy. She was running low on reasons he should stay, and was starting to make references to their adventures. To her surprise, that last one actually got a response from him. More than just a response even.

His limbs came to life, flailing in every direction. He shot up in bed, and one hand made its way to to his chest. He grabbed at his wound and yelled from the resulting pain. Rayla was quick to grab his hand and pull it away.

“Don’t touch it you dummy,” she yelled at him. A glare managed to take root on her face before the moment caught up to her. Callum turned and looked at her, his eyes full of life and thought and emotion, entirely him.

“Rayla,” it was more of a horse question than anything else. A relieved laugh escaped her. She wrapped her arms gently around the boy, bringing him into a hug.

“Yeah, it’s me. Told you, I’m not going to be leaving you alone any time soon,” she muttered. He loosely wrapped his arms around her. His head rested against her body. She didn’t really know how healing works when you were magically brought back from a fatal wound. But he was probably tired.

The rest of the room was thrown into a frenzy. The doctor circled around the two, babbling out questions. The Luiris started to pour out apologies and excuses. Zym was jumping and yipping happily. It was only Terra Seneca that truly interrupted the two. He nosed Rayla and growled, blowing dust at her.

“I’m not going to hurt him,” she groaned, but let the boy go nonetheless. He laid back down, his eyes screwed shut in apparent pain. 

“Where am I,” he asked blearily, slowly taking in the room. He cracked a smile when he saw Zym, happy and alive.

“Dragon’s Perch summit. The queen is protecting us. She saved you,” Rayla explained. They were safe, and he could relax. That was the important thing. It didn’t seem to help his tense look though. He stared at her with an odd look of fear in his eyes. 

“What’s that look for?” She tried not to get defensive. Really, she did.

“I had a dream. I dreamt that you attacked me. Killed me,” he explained. She furrowed her brows. It was Suwin that attacked and killed him. She did nothing of the sort, and he better not be confusing details like that.

“You know that I would never do that Callum,” she tried to keep the glare off her face. 

“I know. It was a weird dream,” he smiled up at her, assuring her that he wasn’t accusing her of anything. She still couldn’t help but feel a little bit offended though. Was it some kind of subscious thought that she left him to die?

“What was the dream?” Luiris asked softly. Both her and the doctor had moved closer to Callum. Even Seneca seemed interested. Rayla also found her interest rising. He was dead, his soul was gone from his body. She had a feeling that it wasn’t just a dream.

“I was back home, in the Katolis castle. But it was empty. No guards or servants or anybody. I was trying to find someone, when I found my mom,” a smile ghosted across his lips. “I haven’t seen her in a long time. Dad was there too. And Ezran. He was really sad about something, but I don’t know what. I couldn’t talk to him because…” A sense of realization flashed in his eyes. He paused for a long moment, but no one dared to break the silence.

“Because I was dead. My mom and dad are also dead. They were sad but also happy that we could be together again. So was I,” his words trailed off. He looked between the faces in the room with some panic on his face. He rested a hand gently on the wound in his chest and his eyes settle on the coffin in the corner of the room. His chest heaved and panic started to flood his eyes.

“Aye. You… didn’t make it,” Rayla answered his unasked question. She winced at her own words. Her own failure. Though Callum didn’t exactly make protecting him easy.

“But how?” It was the obvious next question. Zym yipped happily at the question, seemingly understanding the shift in topic.

“The queen brought you back,” Rayla explained.

“She can do that?”

“Apparently. I was there,” she confirmed. He stayed silent, seemingly not know what to say or do. His eyes still locked on the coffin in the corner of the room. 

“What about the rest of your dream?” The doctor asked. Rayla glared at him.

“He doesn’t have to talk about if he doesn’t want to,” she instantly defended him.

“He has an obligation to. The spell is rarely cast, and every instance must be documented in detail,” the doctor huffed.

“It’s okay Rayla. It was kinda nice. I got to see my parents again. I haven’t seen my mom in so long,” he again smiled at the memory, but Rayla had no idea how. He died. How could that be anything but awful?

“Well, my parents were there. We talked, they showed me some things,” he sent a nervous stare at Rayla, but didn’t elaborate. “Then they suggested I go to my room to rest. And I was really tired, so I was going to. But then Rayla appeared. I didn’t remember who she was, so I ran away. She chased me, and kept telling me to ‘stay’ but I kept running. I tried to get inside my room. I don’t know why, but I knew once I got in there, she couldn’t get me. I was almost there too, but she... “ He once again rubbed at his chest wound. “She stabbed me before I could. Right where…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to. Rayla frowned. She didn’t know what to feel. Sad, that he died. Happy that that she apparently pulled him back to the living. Afraid about what would have happened if she didn’t try. 

The doctor started writing furiously. Meanwhile Rayla just blinked away tears. Maybe she did save him after all.

“I know it’s bad when you cry,” he said softly in a weak attempt at a joke. “You were crying when I died too.” The brutal reminder that he did in fact die forced a tear to escape. She quickly wiped it away though. 

“Never say that again dummy,” she demanded. She wasn’t sure which part exactly she was referring to. She’s be happy if he just never said any of it again.

“I’ll also try to not die anymore either,” he added and she fought the urge to punch his shoulder. Later, she promised herself. When he was feeling better. They fell into a comfortable silence and Callum even seemed to doze off. Rayla contemplated getting him some food. He probably needed it.

He was roused by the sound of large, beating wings. A massive sky blue head peered down from the glass ceiling. Keepers rushed to open the windows and remove any barriers between her and the human prince. Callum was visibly tense but Zym happily waddled towards his mother.

“Don’t worry, she likes you,” Rayla muttered towards Callum, trying to get him to relax. Admittedly it wasn’t easy, the queen was intimidating. She was a large, powerful dragon and the ruler of half the continent. The queen lowered her head in and sniffed Callum. Zym nuzzled her and said… something. The words were foreign, but they were distinctly words. Dragonic, most likely. When did Zym learn how to talk?

She spoke back. The words were still incoherent, but her tone was sweet and loving.

“Your highness,” Callum squeaked out after a moment. Her massive eye rolled to him. There was a deep rumble before she spoke.

“Thank you,” the queen breath understandable words. Rayla could feel Callum relax beside her, and she also released some tension in her muscles. Callum started to shift, trying to get up but the queen spoke. “Do not rise child. You are injured and need rest.” 

“Uh, thank you. Your highness,” he stammered, still out of sorts from talking to the Dragon Queen of Xadia. She huffed, a sound that could have been a chuckle.

“You saved my child several times now, and delivered him to me. You even gave your life for him. You did this even after I made an orphan of you. Azymondias considers you as a brother, and I consider you a son. You are welcome in Xadia for the rest of your life. I hope you stay, but I understand you cannot. I have given you a dragon escort to ensure no elf ever harms you again,” she spoke and Callum went from fear to shock and awe. 

 

Terra Seneca walked towards him and said something in dragonic. Callum rested a hand on his snout as a means of introduction. The rock dragon blew moist dust at him.

“Thank you, for everything,” Callum whispered towards the queen. Zym happily jumped onto his bed and rubbed his head against Callum’s arm. He smilled and stroked his mane. “And I think of you as a little brother too. I’ll have to visit a lot and bring Ezran with me.” Zym’s eyes flashed and he yipped happily. The queen grumbled happily.

“I hope Terra Seneca will protect you with as much loyalty and passion as your mate. Though that is a high bar to meet,” the queen continued. Callum met her gaze with a spark in his eyes.

“I hope it’s more than just me though. I- both me and Ezran- want peace. We want to end this war. Will you…” he trailed off, seemingly not knowing the words to ask the question. The queen understood though.

“The war has lasted so long. The divide is great. It cannot be repaired so easily. However, for as long as you endorse whoever is on the throne, I will work with the humans.”

“Thank you, that’s all we need. Ezran will be a great king, and he’ll do whatever you need to fix things. I know it,” Callum was smiling widely. Rayla couldn’t help but also thank the queen. The queen huffed again, happy with the exchange.

“Now, rest. I understand you need to return to Katolis, but I hope that you stay long enough to heal,” the queen commented, and her son yipped agreeingly. 

“Aye, think we will. I won’t be letting him go anywhere until he can handle it,” Rayla answered for Callum. The boy was too beat up to travel. He might want to go check on his brother, but he’d have to trust Ezran to manage for a while.

“I’m glad,” the queen spoke her final words before withdrawing her head and beating her massive wings. She lifted off and rose into the sky. Zym leapt, trying to follow her but gave up fast. He landed, panting after only being able to rise to the top of the room.

“I know that feeling Zym. Gaining air when flying is hard work,” Callum comforted the baby dragon, who returned to his surrogate brother. Rayla snorted.

“You just don’t have any muscle, that's your problem. If I had wings, I could put you both to shame,” she gently poked his arm.

“Yeah, well, you don’t. So I can still fly better than you,” he added and she had to smile. He really was back. They made it and they were going to be alright.

“Here, eat up,” Luiris said as she handed a bowl of food. Rayla balked at it but Callum happily dug in.

“Skywing food is has way too much grease. Half of it is swimming in oil,” Rayla grumbled. Callum looked at her with a slice of overly buttered bread in his mouth. He shrugged and happily gulped it down.

“Moonshadows have no room to talk about food. Everything you guys make is bland. It’s like you don’t even know what flavor is,” Luiris shot back. “The prince likes our cooking,” she pointed towards Callum, who looked displeased at being brought into the debate. 

“It is good,” Rayla glared at him hard. “But I haven’t tried moonshadow food yet. We’ve mostly just been eating whatever we can forage,” Callum tried in vain to pacify them. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s what they normally eat. Whatever they find on the ground,” Luiris snickered and Rayla was about ready to get up and hit her. Callum seemed to pick up on it though.

“Hey, when we’re feeling better, why don’t you show me the best moonshadow cooking you can?” He rested a hand on her arm and her frustration waned. Rayla still glared but her anger subsided enough to let it go.

“I’m feeling well enough to cook. But I doubt that I’d find any decent ingredients here,” she was thinking about cooking for him. They were always in hiding and she had never been able to share her culture or experience his. But they could now. They were both alive and safe. She could move into that empty room beside his, were Ezran use to be. And she could show him some of the best Moonshadow dishes.

“You’re not well enough Rayla,” the doctor chimed in from the corner. “Like it or not, you got pretty beat up.” He stood and walked towards the pair of beds.

“Not as bad as him,” she jabbed a thumb in Callum’s direction.

“Speaking of which, mind if I inspect the wound?,” the doctor asked.

“Er, sure. I haven’t even seen it,” he muttered, taking off the loose shirt that the doctor had given him. The doctor carefully removed the bandages, revealing the horrible gash.

The blue and red mixed on the used gauze. There was still some drainage but most of the blue turned solid. It wove through the wound, replacing flesh where need be. Rayla looked away, still queasy about the imagine of a fatal wound on Callum.

“Wow. That’s, uh…” Callum looked away himself. Rayla offered a weak smile.

“Yeah, it looks pretty bad.” 

“And you were there for it?” He looked over to her while the doctor cleaned the wound.

“Yeah,” she tried not to think of it.

“Sorry. That must have been tough,” he looked guilty, rightfully so. He did it to himself. It was to save Zym, but he still jumped into death’s path.

“It was,” she said. She tried to force the image of his dead body in a pool of blood out of her mind. His failed gasps for air, followed by that bitter silence. Callum laid down after the doctor was done. He blinked slowly, and she could sense he was tired. 

“You should rest. You need to hurry up and heal already,” Rayla was happy for the change in topic. A sleepy Callum was much better than a dead Callum.

“Mmmh, you’ll stick around when I sleep, right?” His eyes slid closed and he snuggled into the sheets.

“Yeah, you big dummy. I’m not leaving you again. Just so long as you don’t jump off any more cliffs,” she said. Seneca plopped by the boy and barked something in dragonic. “And your new bodyguard isn’t going anywhere either,” she added, to which Seneca huffed agreeingly. 

“Good,” was all Callum said before he drifted off to sleep.

Rayla must have fallen asleep herself, but she woke up when Luiris started talking to Callum.

“What exactly happened in Sky Keep City,” the Skywing asked right after Rayla came to. She sloughed away the last of her sleepiness and a wave of protectiveness hit her. She tilted her head to look at Callum. He had been reading from sky magic book, but was frozen in place at the question.

“I, uh. We met the council and returned Zym. Then they wanted to talk to me alone. Marus asked me about why I returned Zym over lunch. Then they took me to my room. I met with Gruwut the next day, but then that night…” he started to fumbled for words. His stare was far away. “It was the next day that they stopped feeding me. Then they…” he looked down at his hands. “The dungeon…” was the last thing he muttered before Rayla cut in.

“You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to,” Rayla snapped. She glared at the Skywing while saying it. Luiris held up her hands in defense.

“You don’t have to say anything you don’t want Callum. You are truly our guest here,” she spoke gently. Callum seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “However, you should talk about it to someone eventually. For your own good,” Luiris looked at the boy, who just quietly looked to the side.

“Whenever you want to. No sooner,” Rayla added.

“Of course,” Luiris agreed but her eyes show conflict.

“But?” Rayla prompted her. She could tell there was a ‘but’ coming and she didn’t want anyone fucking with Callum. Luiris sighed.

“But we need to know who we can and cannot trust,” the Skywing sat down in a nearby chair. “Suwin acted against the wishes of our queen. He defied direct ordered, and got a number of people to follow suit. He is a traitor, as is everyone who followed him. We need to round them up before they can scatter.” The Skywing had a point. Rayla wanted to see everyone responsible for hurting Callum brought to justice.

“Oh, um. I can make a list I guess,” he pulled up some charcoal and paper he had been using to draw. He started to write names, descriptions, and even sketches of the people he met. Some of them had notes by them talking about how they were good people and who treated him well. Others were simply described as ‘bad’ and it left Rayla wondering what exactly happened. Callum could talk about it when he wanted to, and she wouldn’t push him into it if he didn’t feel comfortable. She kept reminding herself of that.

When he was done he handed the papers to Luiris. She folded the papers carefully and tucked it away. “Thank you. They will be brought to justice,” she promised.

“They weren’t all bad,” Callum spoke up. There was one guard- Denalous- he was okay. He was still working with Suwin, but… He wasn’t mean,” he seemed to struggle to put words to his feelings. Luiris hummed in response.

“We’ll take that into consideration,” she said in a tone that sounded more like lip service than anything else. 

“What about Suwin,” Callum asked with a tremor in his voice. Rayla tensed at the name.

“Missing. Likely in hiding. Don’t worry. We’ll find him and bring him to justice too. What about the rest of the council? You said you met with Marus and Gruwut,” Luiris pressed. Rayla couldn’t put a face to Gruwut, but she remembered Marus as the Oceanwave woman that called Callum and Ezran naive. 

“Yeah. I didn’t meet with the other two though. Gruwut was nice. He didn’t seem to know what was happening. Mares was, uh…” he swallowed hard and she once again thought that he didn’t have to say anything he didn’t want to. “She was in on it,” he finally concluded. 

“I see,” Luiris said, seemingly somewhat surprised. “I didn’t think Marus would… I need to relay this information right away. Thank you. And, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” she looked sadly at Callum and he offered a weak smile back. It wasn’t okay. But he was too soft to be vengeful about it. Luiris left them and Rayla moved over to his bed.

He smiled weakly again, an obvious attempt to lighten the mood. She rested her hand on his.

“You don’t have to talk about it now. But she is right. You should talk about eventually,” she muttered. He frowned and looked away.

“I just want to forget it ever happened.”

“You won’t,” she said instantly and he sent her a sour look. “I’m an assassin. We are taught about this kind of stuff. You can’t just bury it and move on,” Rayla said. She met his eyes and wanted to encourage him to talk to her in particular. But she didn’t. He could do it in his own time, and to whoever he wanted.

“Not now,” he said after a moment of silence. She leaned over and pressed their lips together.

“Whenever you want. No sooner,” she affirmed.

.

Luiris entered the room two days later in a hurry. Callum was healing, albeit slowly. Rayla was healing much faster, though that might have been because her injuries weren’t nearly as bad.

“Callum, are you awake,” Luiris asked as she barged in. He was not awake before them. He was happily sleeping against her side but he of course jumped awake with her intrusion. 

“Hm? Luiris? What is it?” He buried his face deeper into Rayla’s side. She rested a hand on his back and glared at the Skywing girl.

“A letter just got in. From Katolis.” She handed him a rolled up piece of paper. Callum’s eyes flashed and he happily took it. Callum was happy to hear from his brother, at least until he actually read the letter. Then his excitement dropped into disappointment. 

“What’s it say,” she asked. If it was more bad news, she would have to kill someone. Callum needed a break from all that shit already.

“Nothing. Opeli probably wrote this,” he handed her the short and formal letter. She understood the frustration. It was just a letter asking about his whereabouts and condition. 

“We feel like it would be best if you replied directly. And try to include information that we wouldn’t know. It’ll help assure them it is really you,” Luiris explained. Callum was already lost in shuffling papers around and getting ready to write a letter. Luiris shook her head at his excitement. Rayla just smiled though. After all the talks about dying and actually dying, it was nice to see him lively and chipper again. Luiris picked up some ink and a quill from the doctor’s desk and brought it to him.

“Callum, one more thing,” she said with a careful tone.

“It’s never good when you say that,” Rayla griped. Callum chuckled.

“It’s alright Rayla. What is it?” He asked while happily preparing the quill.

“You still want peace between our nations, yes? To end the war and bring humans and elves together,” Luiris asked. It was a rhetorical question. She just heard Callum reaffirm he desire to do so just two days ago.

“Yeah, of course I do,” he puffed out his chest. Or at least tried to, but winced in pain instead.

“I advise that you consider your words very carefully then,” she said. He cocked his head, not following. “Humans are weary of elves. They don’t trust us. Your treatment in Xadia could set the tone for all future negotiations. Or rather, what they think your treatment was,” she said the last words carefully and slowly. Rayla’s blood stilled flared.

“Are you suggested he lie and say that _nothing happened_?” Rayla shot up, ready to take a swing at her.

“I’m not telling Callum what to do. He can say whatever he wants. I simply want to point out that what he says could have consequences he might come to regret. That is all,” Luiris continued. Rayla pressed her lips together. She was ready to continue the fight when Luiris turned towards the door.

“Write your letter and we’ll send it out as soon as you finish Callum,” she said before leaving. Rayla was still gritting her teeth at the thought. 

“They need to know, Callum,” Rayla spoke as she glared at the closed door Luiris just left through. When she looked back, Callum fiddled with the quill and looked entirely too uncertain. “You can’t really be thinking about not telling them,” she shouted at the boy. He sighed.

“She has a point. Humans hate elves. They think you are all monsters. What would they think if they knew? They would never trust an elf!”

“So... What? You are just going to let them get away with what they did to you? Just like that?” She tried to control her temper but honestly, the thought gnawed away at her. Justice was important, damnit! 

“I trust them to deal with it themselves. They are going to catch Suwin and everyone who worked with him. They’ll bring them to justice,” Callum shot back. He started to adjust the paper, trying to end the discussion by starting the letter. Rayla sighed and decided not to upset him too much. But it would not be the last he heard of the topic.

“You’ll need to talk to someone about it eventually. Besides, how are you going to explain your busted leg or that hole in your chest when you get home,” she added with more softness in her voice. He fiddled with the quill, thinking about the matter.

“I’ll talk about it later. Right now Ezran is probably worried sick about me,” he said before putting ink to paper. Soon all anger was off his face and he was smiling again the quill glided across the paper.

“You’re going tell him about elf Callum, right,” she asked with a smile of her own. She recalled him clumsy putting sticks in the hood of the cloak to try to mimic horns. “Or when you tried to catch fish for the first time,” she snickered at the memory. He was soaking wet and cold. He spent half the day topless by the fire. Rayla fought a blush at the memory. One that luckily Callum didn’t notice.

“I don’t know about any of that. But I’m telling him about when we went into the pub to ask directions and you got into a bar fight,” he said with a wide grin. She fumbled at the memory.

“They were making fun of very important cultural rites,” she tried to explain exactly why the guy was being an ass. Callum never seemed to understand why she punched the guy.

“I’ll be sure to include that,” he said with heavy sarcasm. “I bet that he’ll also be happy to hear that Zym is with his mom,” he found a drawing he made of the dragon family and tucked it behind the letter. The letter itself had numerous sketches of the things they saw and did throughout their journey. 

“Are you going to tell him you got a girlfriend,” she teased, using the human word for it. He blushed instantly and she giggled at the sight.

“Probably not a good idea. Other people will read this,” he commented. “Not that I don’t like having you as a girlfriend. I do! But the council might need some talking into it. You know, since you are an elf and all,” he looked at her with a weary, guilty look. She huffed, but wasn’t that offended.

“I get it. Humans and your prejudices,” she continued their playful banter but Callum was starting to tire. He was sleeping a lot, which was likely good. He needed rest to heal. “Why don’t I finish the letter? You look like you could do for a break,” she reached for the letter and quill and Callum handed it off.

“All the moving around. I didn’t realize how much you use chest muscles for writing,” he gripped under his breath. Rayla shrugged.

“Anything that moves the muscles will cause you pain for a while,” she idly commented. She picked up writing in her own scrawl, adding her own stories and commenting on what Callum said. It was moments like those that she had come to enjoy dearly.


	15. Home

Rayla paced the sky nexus that was Dragon’s Perch. Callum still stayed in bed most of the time, but he was starting to explore the cabin more and more. It had been several days and Rayla was getting stir crazy. She couldn’t stay bound up in a building for days on end. She had roam and explore.

Her wounds were healing fast. The doctor warned her about exerting herself too much and causing damage. But they were already starting to close up. Moonshadows tended to heal faster than the other races.

She glanced at the cabin’s upper level and saw Callum drawing something or another. Dragons came and went often, and he had relished in seeing the different kinds. He seemed intent on documenting every one he saw in complete detail.

“Rayla, I hope you are feeling better,” Luiris commented after she trotted up to her. She was with an older Moonshadow man. Rayla vaguely recalled that he was Lunlit, a high ranking general of the Moonshadow branch of the Xadian military. Instinctively she slatuted him. He nodded at her.

“At ease soldier,” he had light gray eyes and large horns that branched several times.

“Rayla, if we may pry, what are you plans once the human prince heals?” Luiris asked. Rayla bit her lip, unsure of how to answer. She didn’t want to say anything to jeopardize her future with Callum.

“What do you mean?” She tried to play dumb. They both looked at her skeptically.

“You are mates. And he is bound to Katolis. One would assume that you would follow him there?” Luiris pressed and Rayla tried to think of how to address the matter. Lunlit stepped in first.

“I don’t want you in our ranks anymore,” he said bluntly. It jarred her and sent her heart pounding. Getting kicked out of the military was pretty disgraceful for a Moonshadow. “You are a hero, and fought bravely and wisely for Xadia. But it is clear that your loyalties are torn. I demand my soldier’s full commitment. You cannot offer that,” his words were firm, but not angry.

“If you cannot make a home in Katolis, we would try to accomodate you here. But, we think that would be unideal,” Luiris added. Rayla found herself happy with the direction of the conversation.

“Callum thinks that I can live in Katolis. Ezran likes me and he is king,” she didn’t exactly know what to expect when it would come time to move in. But she trusted the brothers to handle things.

“Good. Though, we would like to request you go on one last mission,” Luiris and Lunlit stared at her intently.

“What? I thought I just got kicked out of the military?” She scoffed.

“You can consider this a joint mission,” Lunlit interjected. “Suwin is still missing. He disobeyed the queen, tried to kill our prince, and got an unknown number of elves on his side. He needs to be brought down not just for his attempts on the dragon prince and human prince’s lives, but also to prevent a coup,” he continued with a rushed breath. Rayla leaned against a cliff face, thinking.

“The queen has decided to work with the humans. We are keeping quiet about the decision for now, but once world spreads Suwin might be able to pick up a real following. We need to strike fast, before he can do that,” Luiris added. “We need someone that we can trust to not side with him, and ideally someone already in the know,” she added while nodding her head towards Rayla. 

She considered everything they said. She thought about when she was told to kill Ezran, and how she realized it was wrong. She did kill Caries, and the memory still haunts her. But Suwin… Suwin was different. He deserved to die. He wasn’t an innocent child like Ezran. Nor was he just following orders, or doing what he thought was best like Caries. Suwin was a sadist. He saw what Callum did and said and still abused him. And he would continue to fight humans, any human, until he died. An unfamiliar feeling rose in her gut. She wanted him dead. More than that _she_ wanted to be the one to do it.

“Yeah, I’ll do it,” she said casually and tried to ignore the creeping blood lust.

“Good. I expect you to leave tonight. When you find him, take out him quietly. Bring his armor and weapon back, and burn everything else.” Lunlit demanded, Rayla nodded and went back inside, seeking out Callum. She didn’t like the idea of leaving him, but he would be safe at Dragon’s Perch.

When she found the boy, he was exactly where she saw him last. His wounds were much worse than hers, so he didn’t move as much. Instead he parked himself outside on a balcony. He had thick clothes to keep warm, a bowl of stew, and a stack of paper and charcoal sticks for drawing. He looked completely content and it brought a smile to her face.

“Still documenting every breed of dragon in existence?” She teased as she got within earshot. He turned to her and smile. She leaned down and planted a kiss on his lips, something that he eagerly returned.

“There’s a lot more than just six. There’s subtypes too. Seneca-” he pointed his charcoal stick at the lazy dragon. “Is an earth dragon. But more specially he is a rock dragon. But there was another earth dragon, a tree dragon. They looked completely different but were both connected to the earth arcanum.” He fished out his magic cube. It seemed like he got reunited with this stuff at some point. 

“Callum, please tell me you aren’t shoving that thing in every dragon’s face?”

“I’m showing it to them!” he tried to defend himself. Terra Seneca grumbled something in Dragonic. Rayla guessed he was validating her accusation, but she would never know for sure.

“Well, don’t do that. It’s rude,” she pulled out a chair and plopped into it. “Hey, do you think you’ll be fine here without me?” He suddenly stopped drawing and the smile fell from his face.

“Why? Are you you leaving?” His voice thinly hid the panic. 

“I don’t have to. They want me to do something. It would take about a month, but I don’t have to. They can find someone else,” she wasn’t totally sure how true that was, but she wasn’t going to leave him again if he wasn’t okay with it.

“A month? What’s its for?” She could sense the nervousness bubbling inside him. She felt like calling it all off, but part of her wanted to press on. She wanted to end Suwin.

“Maybe less, hard to say. It’s…” She didn’t know how to say it. Callum didn’t know about Caries. He didn’t know that she was a murderer, and that she wanted to kill again. That voice inside her told her to push on. She needed to end Suwin.

“It’s important, isn’t it?” He asked, looking down and twirling his charcoal stick. He would be safe there, she reminded herself.

“Yeah,” Suwin needed to die. For many reasons, he needed to die.

“Then go,” he sounded uncomfortable saying it. “I have Zym and the queen, and Seneca too. I’ll be fine. And besides, it’s probably boring for you up here,” he added and Rayla couldn’t disagree. “By the time you get back, I might be ready to travel,” he added. He didn’t sound completely confident, but it was enough for Rayla. He would be okay.

“Thank Callum. I’ll be around for the rest of the day,” she said as she pulled away. He threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her back down.

“Good,” was all he said before they continued the kiss. 

.

It’s not that Rayla expected that finding Suwin would be easy. But she did hope it wouldn’t take so long. It had been a full month and she hadn't confronted the disgraced general. Granted, she was close. She leaned against the bar, staring carefully at the bartender. He was a Sunfire elf and was hiding something. 

No surprise Suwin slipped back into Sunfire territory. What was mildly surprising was that he didn’t wait long to start building a following. 

“I heard that the dragons betrayed us. That they are working for the humans now,” she muttered, frowning at the bartender. He looked at her, uncertain of if he should trust her. It was a clear sign that he had an in with Suwin. The unnamed elf who was ‘mobilizing the people to face whatever threats are to come’ as they say.

“I heard that a human tried to kill the Dragon Prince,” he frowned back, cleaning a glass.

“I spent my entire life training as an assassin. And for what? To just let the humans take over?” She kept pressing. “I just wish there was something I could do. Some way to help defend Xadia,” she hoped that would do it. She took a gulp of moonberry juice to let the barkeep think about it.

“There just might be a way. If you’re serious that is,” he muttered and she looked at him eagerly. Bingo.

.

It was an impressive speech. Really. It was in the basement of a tavern with about a dozen elves crowded around. She didn’t dare show her face but she could faintly hear it from the outside. Enough to pick out the jist of it anyway. The humans were subtly invading Xadia, corrupting their leaders, coming to kill them all. His followers seemed riled up and ready to revolt, which wasn’t a good sign.

It wasn’t until hours later that they disbanded into the night. Rayla hid in a tree, waiting for her mark. Suwin wore a cloak to hide his face but Rayla had no problem picking him out. His large stature made him stand out. The glint of his armor under the cloak confirmed it.

Rayla followed the general out into the woods. He had opted to stay out of civilization, which did make it harder to track him. But not impossible. He made a base inside a cave. He didn’t use a torch to guide his path, which would make it hard for people to spot him or follow him. Most people anyway. All those precautions to make him hard to find, and it actually made it easier for her to strike. Her night vision was good, easily good enough to follow his every step, even as he tripped over logs and rocks.

Her feet were silent but she still moved fast. She eyed a break in his armor, where the back of his chestplate didn’t meet his greaves. She moved faster, picking up speed. Both her blades were ready, but she only expected to need one. It was what she trained her entire life for. She was an assassin, and he was her mark. 

Runaan would be proud, she thought to herself. She remained perfectly silent, even as she was right behind him. The only sound she made the sickening squish of metal entering flesh. She made sure to push her blade in deep and slash as she pulled out. Unlike Caries, she didn’t hit an artery so Suwin still presented some fight. He pulled out his sword and it glowed in the night light. It illuminated the forest around them. She was no longer hidden in darkness. 

She had already backed up ten feet by then. Blood poured out and covered his beautiful golden armor. A dark hand went to his wound and he gasped. She had both her blades ready, watching him.

She couldn’t beat him in a fight. He was too large and powerful, plus his sunforged sword would be too much of a threat. But she didn’t expect that she would need to. The wound was deep. Possibly fatal, even with medical treatment. He certainly would bleed out soon without it. Because he chose isolation, she had the luxury of time. No one was going to find them and save him. So she waited in the shadows like a hyena waiting for death to take its prey. 

“You bitch,” he yelled as he dropped to a knee. She smiled, it was a compliment. She won and he knew it. “Do you know what this means for Xadia?”

“Peace. Change. Accepting that we aren’t any better than humans,” she listed off a few things. 

“The dragons made the Breach for a reason. We cannot trust…” he started to cough up blood but she knew what he was going to say. _Humans_. And yet she trusted Callum a thousand times more than she would ever trust him. It was satisfying, to see the evil man shrink into a puddle of his own blood. He dropped his sword and an idea hit her. An idea that Runaan would not be proud of. But he wasn’t there.

She circled around the man, finding the straps to his chest plate. She sliced them, causing the armor to fall off and expose his chest. He tried to get up, but failed and only stumbled backwards.

“What are you…” he tried to gasp out, but was interrupted. Her face was in front of his, lavender eyes met golden ones. One of her blades met flesh again. She missed his heart, it was very much intentional. Instead she stabbed a lung. She freed her sword and he grabbed at his chest. At the reflection of a wound he gave Callum. But no one would pull him back into life.

She watched as he gasped and struggled to breath, just like Callum did a month ago. More blood escaped his mouth but air was clearly refusing to fill him. It wasn’t as satisfying as she would like, and after he drew his last breath she found herself simply standing over a dead body. Nothing was fixed by her brutality. Instead, she just felt dirty.

Moonshadows take life, but they do not take it lightly. They are not to relish in it or cause undue suffering. Kills should be clean and done with minimal casualties. But Rayla relished in the kill and prolonged it, even causing undue suffering. She frowned at herself, accepting just how bad of an assassin she truly was. She gathered up his sword and armor. The rest of his body she burned.

.

Callum was excited. He was finally, _finally_ getting his cast off. It would have been better if Rayla was there. She at least sent a letter saying that she finished her task and was safely returning. 

“Don’t move. I don’t need another injury on you,” the doctor warned as he sliced the cast. Callum obliged, but was almost too excited to obey. The cast came off and he instantly started scratching all those spots he couldn’t get to. 

“Well, how’s it feel,” the doctor asked with mild boredom. He was more interested in the prince’s chest than his leg. 

“Tense,” was Callum’s only reply has he planted both feet on the ground. He stood, but his leg ached and was weak. His excitement dwindled and was replaced with frustration.

“It will be difficult to walk on for a while. But it will get better with use. You can’t get discouraged,” the doctor looked genuinely sad. Callum scowled at the leg and tried to smother the anger and sadness. He wanted it to be normal again. He wanted to be able to _run_.

“It will hurt and be painful. But if you make sure to stretch it and walk on it, you should make a full recovery,” the doctor continued, picking up on Callum’s frustrations. “Now, why don’t you go take a walk around the lodge?” he asked and Callum sighed. He really wished Rayla was there. She had a way of cheering him up.

He stood and tried walking on it as best he could. Luckily Terra Seneca was by his side, offering support when he needed it. He wandered around the cabin, looking at the various elves bustling around. Off the mountain peak were mountains and forests and lakes. It had even more of a view than his tower window. The queen spotted him and climbed down from her roost. Zym followed her, preferring to glide down.

“Good morning Aura,” Callum addressed her by name, as she insisted he do.

“Callum,” she hummed. “I hope you are doing well today?,” she asked. Zym barked something in dragonic and Callum patted him. The little dragon had grown a lot. He was probably thirty pounds. He could still be picked up and carried, but he wasn’t nearly as light as he was when he first hatched.

“Yeah,” he said but his sadness was easy to hear. Terra Seneca said something in Dragonic.

“You should stay a while yet. This is a sky Nexus, and it helps sky creatures grow and heal,” she explained. Callum ran a hand threw Zym’s mane. It certainly did explain his growth spurts. “It might do the same for you,” the queen added. Callum closed his eyes and enjoyed the cool breeze. He could feel the wind move differently there. It seemed invigorated, and even if it didn’t help with healing, it did help to make Callum feel energized and complete. 

“I can’t stay forever. Ezran needs me,” he said regretfully. He did enjoy it there, and he did want to see Xadia.

“Come, why don’t you practice flying with my son?” The queen beckoned him over to a steep path up with lots of places to jump down. He considered it briefly, he did just get the all clear to morph again. Terra Seneca pushed him from behind, letting him know that he didn’t have much of a choice. Zym scampered up the winding path and Callum followed. The young dragon cocked a head towards Callum, who smiled before drawing the familiar rune.

Seeing Callum as a bird apparently amused the dragon greatly who jumped and barked. Callum took it as his cue to jump down. He beat his wings, trying to keep elevation but soon found Zym weavering around him, chasing him mid air. He turned sharply and playfully grabbed at Zym’s mane. They both landed and were excited to go up again.

“It’s always best to learn to fly with friends,” the queen chuckled and Callum understood the allure. Unfortunately Zym had him beat in both size and skill. Callum had some catching up to do.  
.

It was night when Rayla got back to Dragon’s Perch. She has a keeper help guide her up the secret tunnels and paths to the top of the mountain. She was tired, both physically and emotionally. She took another life. He needed to die, but she didn’t need to relish in it. She _enjoyed_ killing him, and that terrified her. She felt like a monster and she just wanted to curl up next to Callum and sleep. Would he think that she was a monster if he knew?

The thought hurt. She preferred to console herself with the promise that she was done being an assassin. She would stick to being a royal guard. Lunlit and Luiris were there, waiting by the Dragon Queen at Dragon’s Perch. She dropped the large sack containing Suwin’s armor and weapon. 

“What is your report, soldier?” Lunlit inquired. She wanted to snap at him, she wasn’t his soldier anymore. She was Callum’s, and she wanted to get back to him. But she bit her tongue. She was far too tired for a fight.

“Took longer to find him than I would have liked. He started to gain a following in Sundertown, but I took him down without detection. Burnt him and his camp. Tried to make it look like an accident, but I doubt I could fool any of his men,” she really wanted to just go, but the queen growled in the darkness.

“Sundertown… How many followers did he have?” She asked. It was a fair question. There was a coup brewing and the queen needed to know every detail of it.

“I saw a dozen with him. There might be more though,” the three of them broke out into murmurs and Rayla once again reminded herself that she was a Katolis soldier. She had done her duty, and she needed to return to her main task. Guarding Callum.

“I’m returning to the lodge. If you need more information, come get me in the morning,” Rayla started to walk away. She was testing the waters, but the queen let her go.

“Thank you, and goodnight,” the beast dismissed her. She trudged through the lodge and up the stairs. She entered the room with an intentional lack of stealth. She didn’t want to get mauled by Seneca by accident. Instead the rock dragon popped his head up and huffed at her before going back to sleep. Callum, naturally, didn’t stir. She had to be very loud to wake him up. 

She dropped off her armor, stripping to her under armor clothes. The air was cold and nipped at her more exposed outfit. She still had her own bed, but didn't even consider getting in it. Instead she didn’t waste time and crawled in next to Callum. The bed was warm and she relished in the simple pleasure. Part of her worried that Callum would sense the darkness in her. The part of her taken by blood lust and the drive to hurt and kill. He stirred, shifting away from her as though that was the case. But he probably just couldn’t see enough to make out that it was her.

“You’re such a heavy sleeper. Amazing you weren’t killed yet,” she teased weakly. Her fingers skimmed over his arm, silently asking permission to cuddle. A wide smile spread across his face and he immediately shifted into her.

“You’re back,” his voice was happy but still very groggy. His arms wrapped around her and she held him back. He was pure and clean but she had killed two people with her hands. She enjoyed killing one and it made her feel like she was lying to him in some way.

“Yeah, I’m all yours again,” she still found herself snuggling deeper into his embrace. It was soft and warm and so loving.

“Good. I missed you,” he muttered and she could tell he was already falling asleep again.

“I missed you too,” she whispered back, not far behind him.

.

Rayla watched the two with mild discomfort. She was comfortably rested on the back of the Dragon Queen as Xadia drifted by below her feet. Around them were various other dragons and morphed Skywings. But Rayla's focus was on the smallest of dragons and the osprey without horns.

He was getting better at flying. They both were, as evidenced by the fact that they were actually flying. Callum could hold his form for about ninety minutes, and could fly for a continuous fifteen. Zym still had him beat though. The little guy could happily fly for a full hour and loved nothing more than playing sky tag with Callum. 

Callum, however, looked spent. He pulled back and landed on the queen next to Rayla. He didn't wait to return back to his human form either.

He huffed and puffed and Rayla chuckled.

“Zym's getting you in shape,” she poked his belly but preferred to look at his arms. His arms and chest was where most of the muscle was added and Rayla found herself enjoying them more than she expected. “You better not get flabby back in Katolis,” she added. The Breach was fast approaching, though still hardly visible. 

“Hey, I'll have you there to watch me,” he said once he caught his breath but his eyes were far away. She knew where. He had exchanged more letters with Ezran where they dropped all formalities. Ezran wrote a tear stained letter about how everyone thought he died and he believed them. And being a king was hard, they wanted him to make decisions he didn't understand and everyone told him to do something different. Pretty much just begging Callum to come home when he can and be his regent. That even still, some advisors thought that they killed him and are faking his letters.

As soon as that letter came, Callum decided it was time to leave. He didn't wait any longer to set up a time and place to meet Ezran at the Breach.

“So how tight do you think Ezran is going to hug you?” She chuckled. Callum looked excited and guilty, an odd mixture.

“I might break a few ribs,” he joked back. Zym landed next to him and whined. The tiny dragon was less and less tiny every day. At that point he stood four feet tall and it was a struggle to carry him. He still crawled into both their laps.

“No go. Come back,” the Dragon Prince spoke in broken common language. He said more in dragonic, which his mother replied to I'm the same tongue. Zym whined again and pressed his head into Callum's stomach.

“Sorry, but Ezran needs me too. I'll be back here to visit you as soon as I can though,” he scratched him as an apology and sounded sincere with the promise. Rayla would keep him to it.

“Promise,” Zym cried.

“Aye, we promise. I'll make sure of it,” Rayla assured him. His tongue fell out and he seemed happy enough with the compromise.

It wasn't long after that the Breach glowed below them and the queen started to descend. A party of humans stood in the other side. Between then lay a recently built drawbridge, where each side lowers one half of the bridge. It was the first of its kind anywhere long the Breach.

Rayla could barely make out Ezran. She only guessed it was him based on his size and hair. The queen landed and there was a tense moment of silence. The bridge was lowered but no one dared to try to cross. Human soldiers moved into a defensive position around their king. Zym gilded and started to run for the bridge. The queen swiftly blocked him with her tail and gave a small growl. Rayla was next to jump down. 

She gave a small smile to Callum and beckoned him down. He slid off and she helped him land. For all his improvements in flying, he was still getting using to walking again. He limped towards the bridge and Rayla was by his side, offering support whenever needed. When they were hallway across the bridge, Ezran broke away from his guards and ran. He was a sniffling bundle of red and gold as he embraced his brother. Callum returned the favor full force.

“I thought you were dead and they wanted me to write a speech about it even though I didn't want to believe it-”

“I'm sorry I took so long, but Xadia is really cool-”

Both the brothers were babbling to each other about their time apart. Rayla doubted they were even listening to each other. She rolled her eyes at the pair but decided a moment later to join in on the hug. Even Zym appeared, giving Ezran zappy kisses.

“Zym, is that you? You've gotten so big!” Ezran happily threw his arms around the Dragon Prince, who now came up to his chest. Callum laughed.

“I guess baby dragons grow fast at a Nexus,” he said.

“Look, he can carry me now,” Ezran happily hopped onto the back of Zym. The dragon’s legs buckled but he eagerly trotted around to prove the point. 

“Miss Ezran,” Zym said and Ezran’s eyes went wide.

“And you’re learning to talk!” The king threw his arms around the dragon, who happily pranced around as best as he could with the king of Katolis on his back.

Both humans and elves had closed in. They watched with fascination and confusion as the two galavanted and played. They had gotten bored of Zym carrying Ezran, and Ezran had decided to try to carry Zym once more. It wasn't exactly successful, but both of them seemed happy nonetheless.

“Hey Callum, what's wrong with your leg,” Ezran asked from beneath Zym. Callum flushed and Rayla turned get to stare to him. He needed to tell Ezran. They had to know 

“I got a little bit roughed up by a rogue elf. It's nothing though. The queen made sure I was safe and okay,” he quickly added. Ezran seemed happy to accept this.

“Well, I hope whoever hurt you gets caught,” Ezran concluded.

“He's not a threat anymore,” Rayla said with an odd mixture of pride and shame. Ezran shrugged but Callum gave her a long, firm stare. It was only interrupted again by Ezran.

“So where are you going to go Rayla?” Ezran asked with some concern. Her and Callum exchanged another, completely different look.

“Well, we were talking about that and, uh, how about she stays with us? In the castle?” Callum stammered out and Rayla rolled her eyes yet again. He was far too nervous. How would he tell his council that he wanted to pair with an elf?

“Really? You would do that Rayla?” Ezran's excited voice was dearly missed those last few months.

“If you'll have me,” she laughed and Ezran hugged her tightly 

“Of course I will! I'll make sure that everyone treats you nicely. And we'll stock moon berries too, just for you,” the king prattled on. The moment turned heavy though as they knew what was next.

“Ready to go home?” Rayla asked Callum with a nudge. They looked between themselves.

“Yeah, but we'll have to visit,” he said as he petted Zym.

“Yeah, I'm sorry that we can't talk for long. But next time,” Ezran said his goodbyes. 

“I'll be keeping my promise too,” Rayla assured the dragon. With the parting words spoken, they started to separate. Zym returned to Xadia, and the three crossed into Katolis. Rayla stalled just before leaving the flaming river. She reached into her pocket and freed the letter that Callum wrote for Ezran so long ago. When he thought he would die there, and that Ezran would be left guessing what happened. 

She briefly wondered what was in it. Was it the truth? Was it full of lies to help his goal of peace even after his death? It didn't matter anymore. Callum was being helped up on a horse, districtly in his home land. She dropped the paper into the lava and watched as flames consumed the damned thing. Then she took her final steps into Katolis at well, ready for the rest of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus ends Adventures in Xadia. Thank you all for your support, I hope you enjoyed it. I tried to leave some open ends, in case I want to write a sequel down the road.


End file.
